Phasma's Heart and Soul
by littlepatriot
Summary: Beneath her chrome armor and cold mask, Captain Phasma is a loyal soldier. Until the day he showed up, and sent the past careening towards the present. Art credit goes to FonteArt. Total AU. Writing this before the movie comes out might be the worst or best thing I've done... I guess we will see.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue:

She was a loyal soldier. She obeyed orders, whether given by Ren, Snoke, or Hux. Their wishes were her command. She led her men into battle against the Resistance, killing whoever stood against them. Perhaps her force sensitivity, minuscule compared to Ren, was what allowed her to move through the ranks, as a female no less. She considered it a great honor to command her troops beside the First Order's most powerful leaders. She enjoyed battle; combat took her mind away from her past; her past on Alderaan all those years ago, where she fell in love with a former Jedi padawan. She remembered their relationship, filled with love and laughter. They each were not yet even 18 standard years of age, and yet their relationship made them feel like adults. Hell, she even managed to get pregnant. That was before the horrors of war greeted her young eyes. She was off planet when it happened, on the planet of Semia. Even now she remembers in startling clarity the moment her world turned upside down. One second, her two parents were obsessing over the child she so lovingly carried in her womb, the next she was racing down the street, frantic to get back to Alderaan. When she brought her ship out of hyperspace, Alderaan was nowhere in sight, instead she was surrounded by an asteroid field. She remembered sobbing into her hands, her growing child kicking in what seemed like empathy. Her husband, along with her home, had been vaporized. Vaporized by Galactic Empire, the very remnant of which she now fought for. After that her life seemed to be forgotten, she didn't even remember giving birth to the baby that was created in undying love and devotion. Of which she now had none. She joined the First Order soon after its creation. Now, in her thirteen years of service, she thought she had seen it all. All those years of combat had whittled away her soul. Now underneath her chrome armor, unforgiving mask, and dark swirling cape, she felt nothing and gave nothing. Her only objective was the mission and getting out alive. She was a loyal servant to the First Order, and the Dark Side, and nothing would change that.

Until her past came back to haunt her.

 **THIS IS JUST MY MIND WORKING ITS THING. The movie comes out in less than a week and this story may change in response to that. I do plan on continuing the basic plot, even if changes are instituted in response to the movie, they will be minor. The planet of Semia was created by me, Captain Phasma, Ren, Snoke, and Hux belong to Lucas and Disney. Hope you enjoy this early attempt an EP 7 story.**

 **-LittleP**


	2. The Mission

Chapter 1: The Mission

She was cleaning her customized blaster rifle when General Hux called for her. Donning her silver helmet and securing her cape around her body, Captain Phasma exited her quarters en route to the bridge. _The Finalizer_ was headed to Starkiller Base, the headquarters of the First Order. As she walked down the gray, sterile halls of the super star destroyer, both storm troopers and other personnel stopped whatever they were doing and snapped her salutes. She acknowledged each one with a slight nod. Being a Captain- a commanding officer- in the First Order gave one respect. These men, her troopers, however, respected her not because of her rank, but because she fought alongside them, unlike so many officers around her. She smiled at the thought of battle, the gesture hidden beneath her imposing helmet. War was a drug for her- the smoke, blaster fire, and explosions -satisfied the constant craving for action that she always desired.

Arriving at the two large metal doors that led to the bridge, Phasma input her credentials and waited. Soon the door large doors gave a groan as the lurched from their position and began to slide apart. As the doors slid open, a large open expanse filled with holoterminals, holotables, and large windows greeted her sight. All around, technicians and personnel scurried about their duties, while stormtroopers stood at silent attention in intervals throughout the bridge. As she enetered the troopers standing guard nearest to the door stiffened their stances in a show of respect. Captain Phasma paid them no heed, her gaze was fixed on the large windows installed throughout the bridge. Beyond them, the swirling blue of hyperspace passed by, a sight that always enchanted her.

Turning her gaze to the bridge she found General Hux, and his two subordinates, Major Vlosh and Lieutenant Hagg, standing around a holotable which displayed a map of Starkiller Base. She headed in their direction, the lights from the holoterminals reflecting off of her armor. General Hux was the first to notice her.

"Ah Captain Phasma, nice of you to join us." Hux said in a slightly disapproving tone.

"Apologies sir." She replied to her superior. She respected General Hux as her superior; they both shared the thought that their troops were the best in the galaxy. She grimaced at the thought of Hux leading troops into battle. From a military standpoint, Hux was much like the Grand Moffs of the Galactic Empire, politically savvy but militarily disastrous. He knew how to work the politics of the situation, but had no idea when it came to tactics and strategy. She'd heard that Hux had only received his rank using his political power and influence; after he had fled from the world of Semia, after the end of the civil war there.

Semia, the name brought back memories from what seemed like another life. It was the world where she was born and raised, the world where she had grown up before she had gone to Alderaan with her rouge Jedi padawan lover. Perhaps her child- she snapped herself out of her thoughts; they would only serve to distract her from the mission at hand.

" Well be on time next time Captain." Major Vlosh ordered her in a stern voice.

"I will sir, excuse my tardiness." She replied to the superior officer, barely keeping the venom out of her voice. She hated Vlosh and Hagg with a passion. Both men took any chance they could get to belittle her, despite the fact that she led their troops into battle.

 _Perhaps it has something to do with the short man complex._ She thought as she smiled underneath her helmet. She was naturally tall, standing a 6'3"; she towered over just about anyone she had come across. Vlosh and Hagg were no different. Perhaps they used their rank to push her around because she was physically superior to them.

The pair also stayed far behind the lines, away from danger, while their men bled for them.

"Let's get to it." Hux told the trio before him, and soon began the briefing. "The Red Destroyer is nearly complete and ready for testing. However, our intel suggests that the Resistance may be attempting to get a hold of our plans and undermine the operation. I am ordering an increase in security in and around the development area; we need to keep the Resistance as far away from Red Destroyer as possible." Hux looked over towards Major Vlosh. "Major, you will deploy a battalion of your best troops to guard the Red Destroyer."

Major Vlosh nodded in confirmation. "Understood sir, you wish is my command."

Phasma rolled her eyes and scoffed quietly in disgust; both actions concealed by the bucket on her head. Sure, the guarding of a system that could wipe out an entire star system was important, but she knew Major Vlosh was sucking up to General Hux.

 _This is why he's a major, kisses ass and gets promoted._ Phamsa smiled at her thought.

"Lieutenant," Hux turned towards Hagg, "Supreme Leader Snoke has asked me to prepare for his arrival at Starkiller Base in a standard week's time. You will plan for such an event accordingly, and I expect a detailed plan in three days time."

"Yes sir." Hagg responded to Hux's order.

Hux subsequently turned off the holotable. "Dismissed." He said to the three.

Both Major Vlosh and Lieutenant Hagg walked away. Captain Phasma was getting ready to turn on her heels and proceed back to her quarters when General Hux stopped her.

"Captain, a moment please." General Hux told her as he walked over to the large windows at the head of the bridge.

"Yes sir?" Phasma asked as she came up beside him, neither one looking towards each other, their eyes were fixed on the hyperspace streaming by the ship.

"I have a mission for you." Hux told her. "I'm sure you're aware that one of your troopers, by the name of Finn, went rouge three days ago. I'm sure you know that Trooper Finn stole a TIE fighter and nearly destroyed an entire hanger, and inflicted casualties on your troops."

Phasma recognized the name, and a picture of the trooper, Finn popped into her find. Dark skinned, a private, who she thought followed orders. She made it her responsibility to know about each one of the troops under her command. The thought of Finn betraying his fellow brothers in arms, betraying her- his commanding officer- and the First Order, sent anger coursing through her veins.

"Trooper Finn attempted to escape, but was shot down by the TIE's sent after him. The stolen fighter crashed on the planet of Jakku. I sent a squadron of TIE fighters down to the surface to attempt to scout for the rouge trooper. The pilots reported that Finn along with an unknown individual, possibly female, escaped aboard an YT-1300 freighter. " Hux paused briefly before continuing. " Once we arrive at Starkiller Base, you will brief a battalion of your soldiers, and you will go to Jakku. You are to find any evidence you can about the identities of those unknown, their whereabouts, and any other information you consider vital. You may use any means necessary." General Hux stressed the last point.

" Understood general." Phasma replied.

He nodded, "dismissed."

She saluted and spun on her heels, exiting the bridge.

Back in her quarters, she began preparations for the mission ahead.

* * *

Later that night, General Hux sat in a couch in his large and lavish quarters. On the small caf table in front of him was a datapad, and on that datapad was a picture of a young man. The young man- who couldn't have been older than 22- was clad in a gray uniform. Three gold stars on his collar indicated his rank, a colonel. The black cuffs on his arms indicated his command, infantry. A red sash wound its way around his waist, detonating an officer. On top of the red sash was a belt, on it was a blaster pistol and ammo pouches. The belt had a strap that wound its way up and over the shoulder of the young officer, on it was a large knife. The young man's jacket reached the upper knees of his equally gray pants. Dark black shoes and a wide brimmed black hat completed the uniform. The young man was staring directly at the holocamera, a wide smile plastered across his face.

Hux frowned in disgust.

"You will pay for all the humiliation you've caused me. Mark my words." Hux spat in contempt, "Gray Ghost." He added with a mocking sneer. Oh yes, he knew Captain Phasma's next mission.

 **And there we have it,first chapter done! Who is this mysterious Gray Ghost? What does he have to do with Hux? Continue reading to find out!**

 **A little history question. The moniker "Gray Ghost" is not my invention, it was the label of a military leader. Does anyone know the name of that leader?**

 **Apologies ahead of time if there's any spelling mistakes, I was a little rushed for this expect future chapters to be longer than this, again, I was rushed for time.  
**

 **-LittleP**


	3. Sand, Sand, and more Sand

Chapter 2: Sand, Sand, and more Sand

A transport lifted away from Starkiller Base, on it was a battalion of stormtroopers. Their commander, Captain Phasma stood at the head of the bridge. The blinkling lights of both the holoterminals and the stars flashing across her gleaming armor, her dark cape flowing down her shoulder plates and back. As the ship blasted into hyperspace, destined for Jakku, Captain Phasma couldn't help but smirk beneath her mask. With permission from General Hux to do whatever necessary, Phasma thought the mission might turn out to be fun.

 _I will crush anyone who stands in my way. I will find you Finn, and when I do, you will breathe your last._ She thought darkly as hyperspace streamed by the windows.

Thousands of light years away, on Jakku, another individual was deep in thought. In a small village, a young man with brownish reddish hair and blue eyes sat in a hut. This man wore a light tan military uniform, which blended in with the sand that surrounded him. This young man was a commander in the Resistance, and earlier that day he had helped a rouge trooper, Finn, and a scavenger named Reyy escape aboard the freighter that belonged to his friend, Han Solo. It was now nighttime, and here he sat, bored out of his mind. He needed some real excitement; he needed the adrenaline rush that only battle could provide him with. He had been with the Resistance only for a year, since the end of the civil war on his home planet of Semia.

 _Ah, the war._ He thought wistfully; quickly followed by grim mental images of men and women with their heads blown off, or their guts shot out.

"Major?" A knock sounded from the door, knocking him out of his past memories. He didn't immediately reply.

"Major Anders?" The individual said again, knocking once more. "Sir, are you in there?"

The young officer stood up and walked over towards the door, pulling it open. Standing behind it was a man of about twenty nine years of age, wearing the same colored uniform as the young major; however, his sleeve marking indicated a different rank.

"Sergeant, or rather, , how many times do I have to order you to not refer to me by my rank." The young man jokingly chided his sergeant.

Sergeant Huxly appeared spooked. "Right. Sorry, Will."

He smiled at the use of his first name. "There you go Huxly, getting the hang of it already. Now what did you want to notify me about?" He asked the sergeant curiously.

"Well sir", Huxly began, " Lieutenant Rogers wanted to know if you were ready to be beaten at hands again?"

Major Anders smiled in delight. "That.. that little lying scab!" He said playfully. "She will rue the day she told you she beat me. I'll have you know Huxly that I've wiped the sand with her when we play hands together. She hasn't beaten me once!" He grabbed his military peaked cap and headed out the door, following his sergeant.

Major William Anders commanded a battalion of soldiers on Jakku. In fact, they were the only Resistance troops for many lights years around. He, along with everyone under his command all hailed from Semia, and at the age of twenty one, he was one of the youngest; even though he was their commanding officer. His battalion was part of a larger force of native Semian's who fought for the Resistance, comprising three whole regiments in total. Like many of his men, William Anders was not new to war. And like many of the men and women who served under his command, he too had served as a soldier in the Semian Civil War.

A conflict which raged for three straight years, ending a little over a year ago. It tore apart the once peaceful planet, pitting neighbor against neighbor, and brother against brother. Out of a total population of 20 million people, 6 million had fought in the war. Almost 2.6 million of those fighting became casualties, and 720,000 soldiers and civilians were killed. At the time the war broke out, William Anders was just a farm boy living with his grandparents. His father was dead and his mother was somewhere far off, he told himself. The war was sparked by the unequal rights given to the lower classes by the central government. So after, hi s province, along with four others rebelled, and began to fight against the inequality. Anders joined the Semian Equality Army as a private at just age 17, battling against the Semian Forces for Unity. And for three long years, he somehow managed to survive every battle he was in. When the war finally came to an end with the installment of equal rights for all, and a central government, William Anders had risen to the rank of Colonel. He had just turned 20 years old. During the war he proudly wore his dark gray uniform, knowing that he was meant to be a soldier. But when the fighting between the gray coats and brown coats ended, William Anders simply returned to his life of farming. His grandparents had fled the planet during the war, when a battle literally raged at their front door. Now, at 20 years old, Anders had given up the military life he'd grown fond of, and now was by himself, in the 350 year old house on his family's farm.

That was a year ago, since then, Will had joined up with the Resistance to fight against the First Order, which was the organization he felt was responsible for spreading oppression, fear, and terror throughout the galaxy. His move to join the Resistance encouraged others to soon follow. Once with the Resistance, William hoped that his former command he had during the Semian Civil War would be revived, however, the influx of officers from the SFU into the Resistance effectively ensured that he would not be getting the command he hoped for. He soon found himself demoted to the rank of Major, and given command of a battalion that was to garrison the planet of Jakku. A planet he had never before heard of.

After he had finished his game of hands against Lieutenant Rogers, who he had once more defeated; and after he had given orders to the sentries on watch, William Anders returned to his hut by himself. The night was growing old and the moon was now beginning to set. The first rays of sunlight would soon appear in the now pitch black sky. After he had entered his hut, he turned on a small light; casting shadows throughout the enclosed space. Reaching a hand underneath his temporary bunk, William pulled out his pack. After unzipping it and searching around for a few moments, he found what he was looking for. Pulling his hand out of his pack, a small black journal and writing utensil were now wrapped in his digits. He opened the small bound object and flipped through its pages, looking at his previous entries. The entries went from before the civil war, throughout the conflict, and to the present. Grabbing his writing instrument he marked down the date and began to write a new entry.

 _ **10.5.33ABY**_

 _ **Dear Whoever That Reads This When I'm Gone,**_

 _ **There was nothing new today, just sand, sand and more sand; the sand that makes you itch, the sand that gets into your mouth, and the sand that gets into the nether regions. I now have developed a fear that I may spend the rest of my military career confined to this arid dust ball of a world. I very well may die during this war with the First Order, but do not expect it to be a glorious death in battle. No, I think I will die silently on this planet, of boredom. While I still do complain an awful lot about this planet, today marks a solemn occasion. Today, thirty three years ago, my father, Jax Muludon, perished on Alderaan. As you very well know, I adopted my grandfather's maiden last name as my own; perhaps I've dishonored my father's memory in doing so, but I know not what the dead think so I cannot say for sure. My grandmother used to tell me that I was just a little embryo, a little featus, in my mother's womb at the time of my father's death. What a disturbing little mental picture. You may feel as though my humor in unnecessary in such a context, but I need to laugh. I've seen too many people- many of whom I cared about-die before my very eyes. I need humor, as it is one of the only things that keep me motivated enough to go on with this business of living. That an you know, the joys of life itself. Speaking of my mother, I know not of what became of her. And I wish I did, the uncertainty surrounding her disappearance eats away at me constantly. Nevertheless, my mother is gone, and has been for my entire life. Is she dead? Maybe. Is she alive? Maybe. Or perhaps she's a member of the First Order. Now that would be very interesting.**_

 _ **W. Anders**_


	4. On the Contrary

Chapter 3: On the Contrary

After one day of travelling through hyperspace, Captain Phasma and her troops arrived in orbit around Jakku. Phasma stood on the bridge, watching as the ship circled the brown planet below. She felt a slight tingling in her mind, subtle but not enough to be bothersome. Frowning behind her helmet, she attempted to figure out just what this mysterious feeling was. Being slightly force sensitive, Phasma deduced that the sensation was coming through her via the Force. It was strange, as she had never before felt such a sensation, not once during the dozens of battles, or the many hundreds of times she had killed.

 _So why now?_ She thought, slightly irritated at this newfound bother.

Pushing the thought aside, Phasma knew she had to get down to business. Activating her helmet comm, she opened a channel with one of her subordinates.

"Sergeant, gather the men and have a shuttle ready for our departure." She ordered in a stern tone.

"Yes sir!" The sergeant obediently responded. Sergeant TK-7999, or "Nines", was one of her most trusted and loyal soldiers. He had fought alongside her for well over six years and obeyed her every command without question or hesitation.

Marching off the bridge, Phasma headed for her quarters. Reaching the door to her quarters, she palmed a code and the door instantly slid open. After stepping in and waiting for the door to slide shut, the commander of the First Order's stormtroopers kneeled down and reached under her bunk; and pulled out a bag from the space. Removing her helmet, she proceeded to undo the straps around the bag, and began to remove the many different components that lay inside. She began to assemble her personal blaster rifle, hoping that in the time it took her to assemble the blaster, her troops would be preparing to depart themselves. Her gloved hands worked at a rapid pace, the process of assembling the blaster had become muscle memory. Within less than two minutes her blaster was complete. She popped a charger pack into the rifle and ensured that it was fully charged, and put additional packs into pouches on her waist belt. On this mission, she might need all the firepower she could get. Ensuring that she was ready, she once again donned her helmet and walked out of the door, blaster rifle held across her chest in proper military posture. Her blaster was larger compared to the standard blaster rifles used by the First Order- perhaps it was larger because the individual wielding it stood a good deal taller than most of the soldiers in the organization.

Arriving at the small docking bay, Phasma was greeted with the sight of thirty of her troops lined up neatly in two lines, one line on either side of the lowered shuttle ramp. At the head of each line of stormtroopers stood two sergeants; their rank indicated by a bright orange pauldron on their shoulder, the color standing in stark contrast to the white of their armor.

Phasma halted and looked at her troops that stood before her. The platoon consisted of regular, heavy, and flame troopers.

"Sergeants Nines and Krax, report." Captain Phasma ordered, her electronically altered voice reverberating around the small docking bay.

"Section Alpha ready for departure, Captain." Sergeant Nines replied in military fashion.

"Section Beta ready to depart, sir." Sergeant TK-5659, or "Krax", reported.

Phamsa nodded at receiving confirmation that her men were ready to board. "Section Alpha, left face!" She commanded, the named section obeying the command without pause. "Section Beta, right face!" Section Beta followed Phasma's command without a fault.

With both sections now facing the shuttle ramp, Captain Phasma issued the command to, "March!"

Both sections began to march up the ramp and into the shuttle, two by two. Within moments all were aboard, and Phasma soon followed her men, the shuttle ramp closing behind her. With herself and her men securely onboard, Phasma only had to wait a few moments before the floors began to vibrate as the engines roared to life; a few seconds after that, the shuttle lifted off from the docking bay and blasted towards the brown sphere below.

Within ten minutes, the shuttle had set down on the outskirts of a small isolated village. General Hux had given her the estimated path that the two criminals had taken as they were pursued by First Order forces. The data indicated that their flight from the First Order originated in this small village.

The shuttle ramp lowered with a hiss, and Phasma led the way down the ramp, her troops following behind her. It was nighttime on this side of Jakku, and the pitch black darkness enveloped everything. A faint glow came from the village that was their objective. During the shuttle flight to the surface, Captain Phasma had also received the coordinates of the crashed TIE fighter that Finn had taken in his escape.

With all her troops gathered behind her, Phasma devised a plan. Turning to Sergeant Krax, the Captain gave an order to the pauldron wearing trooper. "Sergeant, have five men investigate the TIE wreckage, and maintain three troopers here to guard the shuttle. "

"Yes sir!" Krax replied, and went about carrying out his superior's order.

Phasma turned to her remaining troops. "The rest of you will come with me."

Phasma began to walk in the direction of the village, her men following diligently behind her.

As the platoon of twenty two troopers descended on the village, the once faint glow increased in magnitude. Phasma halted right beside a small hut, evaluating the situation. The village was eerily quiet, no sounds were heard, and no villagers were seen.

Captain Phasma turned to Sergeant Nines. "Have your men go hut by hut, rouse the occupants. I want to have the entire village assembled in the central marketplace in no more than fifteen minutes. Do I make myself clear?"

"Very clear!" Nines responded as he and his men went about their orders. Soon, stormtroopers were barging into huts; the startled cries and shouts of panicked villagers increased as they were rudely awoken from their slumbers, and dragged out from their homes.

While the stormtroopers went about their orders, the flametroopers remained near Phasma. The captain watched as villagers were herded with force towards the central marketplace.

At exactly fifteen minutes after she had issued the order, Phasma began walking towards the marketplace, her flametroopers following behind her. Her cape fluttered as a small breeze blew through the narrow streets and corridors; her heavy and well calculated steps echoing above the whimpers of the frightened villagers.

Nearly one hundred villagers were surrounded by a circle of both stormtroopers and heavytroopers, whose blasters were aimed at their quaking bodies. Many of the villagers stared in silent fear. They had never encountered such force since the fall of the Empire, and did not know what was going to happen to them.

As Captain Phasma stopped before the villagers, she turned her helmet back and forth, gazing at the collection of villagers before her. All were dressed in typical desert clothing, light tunics and pants, and all were quite scared. Women clung to their husbands, some men hid behind their women, and children clung to their parents.

 _Perfect. The more frightened the better._ Phasma thought darkly.

An old man suddenly stepped forward; Captain Phasma quickly aimed her blaster at the frail old man. The old man stopped in his tracks.  
"What is it that you want, food, water, shelter?" The old man's soft voice broke the previously speechless silence.

"Answers." Phasma growled immediately, she wanted answers and she was going to get answers. "About the two criminals you allowed to hide in this village two days ago. I want answers and you are going to give them to me."

"I have no recollection about what you speak of." The old man answered her angered statement.

She seethed at the answer, if Captain Phasma was anything, she was not stupid. She could see the lie in the man's eyes. "You know damn well that is not true!" He electronically altered voice roared throughout the village. She was somewhat satisfied when she saw fear sparkle in the eyes of the villagers. She smiled at the sight.

She stood in silence for a few moments, letting the fear of the villagers increase. "I see," she spoke with a frightening calm to her voice, "perhaps you need additional persuasion." Clipping her blaster rifle to her thigh, Phasma turned towards a nearby hut, and then to the flametrooper nearest to her. "Light it up."

The flametrooper stepped forward and aimed his flamethrower at the hut. The surprised gasps of villagers soon became screams of fright and anguish as the hut went up in flames.

"Please! Please stop, I beg of you!" The old man feebly shouted as he watched the flames spew from the flamethrower and towards the hut.

"Then give me the answers I want, old man. I will spare the rest of the village if you do so." Phasma replied to the man's pleas; the firelight glowing off of her armor.

Phasma's stern voice silenced the frightened villagers; the only sound heard was the crackling of flames as they consumed the hut.

"They…. they," the old man tried to speak, "two, a boy and a girl. We allowed them to hide in an abandoned hut for a couple of hours, and then your soldiers came. They ran through here as they were being pursued, and did not stop." The elder's voice was colored with defeated despair.

"In what direction were they headed?" Phasma pushed.

"They ran in the direction of the village three clicks from here." The old man pointed in the said direction.

Without a word, Phasma gestured to her troops and began walking back in the direction of the shuttle. The stormtroopers that were guarding the villagers broke the formation and followed their commander.

When Captain Phasma and her troops reached the shuttle, Sergeant Krax had already arrived. Behind the returning troops, a small pillar of smoke wafted from the still burning hut.

"What have you found Krax?" Phasma asked her Sergeant who she had sent to investigate the TIE wreckage.

"We found pieces of armor, indicating that Trooper Finn removed his armor and fled in a different garb. Everything else appears nominal, Captain" Krax reported his findings to his superior.

Nodding her head, Phasma turned and looked over all of her troops. "Board the shuttle, our next objective is the village three clicks from here."

Her order was followed and her soldiers boarded the shuttle. Within moments the vehicle had lifted off the ground and into the darkened sky.

A loud rapping on his door woke him from his sleep.

"What!?" Major William Anders shouted in annoyance, having been woken from a pleasant dream.

Without warning, the door swung open and a thin dark haired teenager ran in.

"What is it Private Dryse?" Will said, sitting up on his bunk.

"Sir, F…. First Order troops spotted three clicks from here. They're on their way here!" The boy practically mumbled his findings.

It did not matter. Anders shot up from his bunk and began putting on his tan uniform jacket- he always wore his uniform pants to bed.

As he readied himself, he gave orders to the young private. "Have the villagers shelter in place. Tell Rogers to mobilize the rest of the men immediately. Get all the troops out of the village, and have them take up positions in the surrounding dunes. I want to have the advantage of both surprise and terrain. Send a comm to the surrounding garrisons; have them mobilize as soon as possible. I want them on their way here in less than five minutes, and they better be running as fast as they can." He was glad that he had decentralized the garrison, spreading them out among the villages that dotted the planet.

The young private nodded and rushed out the door.

Will continued to get ready, donning his knee high boots, and quickly tying the red colored Semian officer's sash around his waist. If he was going to fight, he wanted to have something from the previous war he had survived. Hoping it brought him good luck.

He then put on his belt and shoulder strap, holstering his blaster and sheathing his large knife. Donning a black cloak around his uniform, and putting on his tan peaked cap, he rushed out into the night, ready to meet the enemy.

Captain Phasma once again stepped out of the shuttle, having once again landed on the outskirts of the village. The intel she had received indicated that there was a garrison of Resistance soldiers on the planet, but with their base over four hundred clicks away, they posed no threat. She would be long gone when word of her arrival had reached their measly ears.

Phasma began her trek down to the village, once again leaving three troopers to guard the shuttle. With both of her sergeants, regular, flame, and heavy troopers surrounding her, Phasma entered the village. Much like before, it was quiet; no doubt the villagers had hidden themselves from the white armored soldiers.

The lights of the village gleamed off their armor. Phasma knew that she had to get the villagers out from their hiding spots, and she knew just the way to do it. Picking out a random hut, she removed her blaster from her thigh clip and activated the light on the end of the stock. Gesturing to a heavy trooper near her, Phasma and the trooper walked over to the hut. With a powerful kick, the door crashed inwards; the occupants inside screamed as their door crashed to the ground. The family inside was greeted to the sight of a tall stormtrooper clad in chrome armor standing in their doorway, blaster pointed at them.

"Get them up and drag them out." Phasma ordered the heavytrooper beside her.

The ringing sensation that she had felt on the bridge of the transport had increased to the point of becoming a major annoyance. It no longer felt like an itch, it had become a headache.

As the trooper manhandled the wife and child out, Phasma stalked into the hut and dragged the man out behind them, shoving him to the sand below, and aiming her blaster directly at him.

"Let them go." A hard and stern voice said, all heads- both stormtrooper and frightened villager- whipped towards the direction the voice had come from.

Sergeant Huxly was excited to say the least. He had seen little fighting when he had joined the Semian Equality Army in the final year of the civil war. Now with the arrival of these stormtroopers that was seemingly about to change.

He along with about ten other men had moved into the dunes surrounding the village, per Major Anders' orders. But now, he and his squad were silently stalking away from the village, after Lieutenant Rogers had ordered him to capture the enemy shuttle. He knew the surrounding garrisons of Captain Muradd and Lieutenant Defflan had been mobilized by Anders, and was running towards the young officer's position.

As he and his men neared the coordinates given, he began to make out the outline of a First Order shuttle, and also noticed three stormtroopers guarding it; their white armor faintly visible against the backdrop of the night.

Using a hang signal to halt his men, Huxly crouched low to the ground. Beside him, young Private Dryse drew up beside him.

" Sir,what are your orders?" The private quietly whispered to him.

Huxly thought for a moment, before deciding to use a tactic that his commander had perfected during the Semian Civil War. "Envelop from both sides and the front. I want this done as quickly and quietly as possible. I want the prisoners alive and unharmed, I repeat, alive and unharmed." He whispered to Private Dryse and the rest of his men.

After receiving nods from his men, Huxly divided his squad into three groups and slowly they advanced towards the unsuspecting shuttle. He made sure that he and his men were hidden so their heat signatures wouldn't be picked up by the HUD's of the stormtroopers. He was nearly on top of them when he gave his men the signal to execute, a whistle.

The sound visibly startled the three troopers, giving Huxly and his men enough time to envelop the guards. Within a second, the three stormtroopers found themselves surrounded by blaster rifles pointed directly at them.

One of the troopers' hands moved as if readying himself to raise his blaster.

"Wouldn't do that soldier, your helmet comms are jammed, you are surrounded by a force three times your size, and we are armed with high penetrating rifles." Huxly warned the white clad trooper, whose hands soon relaxed.

Unlike most of the galaxy, the Semians added a naturally occurring resource on their planet to the blaster charger packs they produced. This gave increased speed and power to the bolts the blasters fired; allowing them be virtually unseen, and penetrate the heaviest armor in one or two shots. The disadvantage arose as the amount of charge carried in each pack was reduced, and a small amount of smoke was produced after each discharge.

Huxly relieved the captured stormtroopers of their weapons, but did not move to cuff them. He and his men guarded the enemy combatants, all holding their breath, waiting for the firefight to begin below.

In the village below, Phasma and her men raised their blasters in the direction of the voice.

"Show yourself!" Phasma ordered at a near yell. The ringing in her mind was becoming unbearable.

The sounds of heavy footfalls were heard, and soon the heat signature of the target appeared on the stormtroopers' HUDs. The figure slowly walked toward the group, still bathed in darkness. Every trooper had their weapons trained on the unknown individual. The figure finally stepped out into the light of the village.

Phasma saw a black cloak surrounding the man; he stopped just a few feet away from the chrome armored captain.

Will Anders had hidden himself behind a row of huts, knowing that failing to do so would result in his heat signature being detected by these stormtroopers. He had announced his presence and walked slowly out, attempting to appear as nonthreatening as possible. While he knew he had the advantage, and could easily wipe this patrol of stormtroopers out, Will did not wish to spill blood this quiet night. Now he found himself standing a few feet away from a chrome armored stormtrooper who had a black cape secured around their neck.

 _Must be the commander._ Will thought in slight humor, despite the situation.

Every blaster including that of the chrome trooper was trained on him. He clutched his cloak tight around his body, knowing that once squeeze of their triggers could end it all.

He stared at the chrome trooper before moving his gaze towards the family huddled on the ground.

Being based in this village, he recognized the family, having seen them many times in his walks around the marketplace.

"I said to release them." He said, looking at the commander, voice stern, and brokering no room for argument.

Silence greeted his demand; a silence that seemed to stretch on for ages, before the chrome stormtrooper finally spoke. "They will be held, along with the rest of the village occupied, until I get the answers I need."

Will stared in slight shock. _A woman? Very unusual._ He thought as he heard the trooper speak.

"Answers regarding what exactly? He asked, his eyes once more on the family held hostage.

"You know damn well what I want." The commander spat in anger.

Will sighed, it appeared he and this stormtrooper shared something in common, they were both unrelenting until they found what they were after. "I will answer what you need, but only If you release them." He cocked his head in the direction of the family.

The chrome commander turned her head and gestured with her gloved right hand at a trooper who hovered over the family. The trooper stepped aside and without a moment's hesitation, the family ran back into their hut.

Will was left seemingly alone with the enemy. Knowing that it would help to show who he truly was, Will released his grip on his cloak and let it fall to his sides. The move exposed his tan colored uniform.

The whirring of blasters being modified to fire at close quarters was heard for a few seconds. The chrome stormtrooper commander stood fast, her blaster unmoving. "A Resistance officer." She spat in what sounded like disgust.

"Major Anders, Commander of the Jakku garrison at your service…?" Will left the question hanging.

"Captain Phasma." The chrome stormtrooper replied tersely.

"Interesting name." Will said, his inner thoughts spilling out accidently.

"Enough with the pleasantries, tell me what I want to know." The chrome Captain Phasma was all business as she took a step towards Will, who remained momentarily silent. "Or perhaps you would like to speak when you are my prisoner?"

Will shook his head slightly. "On the contrary Captain," he whistled, and the sound of many rifles cocking greeting the once noiseless surroundings. Captain Phasma and the other troopers turned their heads, looking in every direction around themselves.

"On the contrary Captain, it is you who is now my prisoner." Will said with a slight cockiness to his voice.

" **Nines" does not belong to me, rightfully belongs to Greg Rucka.**


	5. Prepare to Fire!

Chapter 4: "Prepare to Fire!"

There was a very tense moment of silence following Anders' statement. He had not moved a muscle, and the stormtroopers had not lowered their blasters. Will Anders really did not have a wish to die this young; he needed to diffuse the situation, and fast.

"Captain," he said, Phasma's helmet remained fixed in his direction, "I have your shuttle along with your guards captured, your comms are jammed, and I have mobilized the surrounding garrisons." Will paused, hoping to see some sort of reaction from the chrome armored captain; yet Captain Phasma remained unmoving. Seeing this, Will continued his speech. "As I speak, three hundred and eighty men are on their way to this location. I am aware that you have transport orbiting the planet, and if need be, I can have a squadron of fighters on it within minutes."

Still Phasma remained silent, her blaster still leveled at Will. However, the same could not be said of her troopers; their helmets were gazing at the surrounding dunes.

"Captain, I implore you, spare the lives of your men." Will pleaded. While he detested pleading- thinking it made one look weak- he would do whatever it took to resolve this standoff bloodlessly. And if people thought he was weak, then so be it. Will understood that the soldiers who fought for the First Order were just as human as he was. They had lives, friends, and homes. They were not some unfeeling mass, like many in the Resistance portrayed them to be- he had seen personally the consequences of dehumanizing your enemy- and did not want to harbor such hate within himself. His father was a jedi, taught to care and love every being, and he would do the same.

"I will not be your prisoner." Phasma said, bringing her blaster up to her shoulder plate, and aiming down the barrel.

"Prepare to fire!" Will heard a familiar voice order from the surrounding dunes.

 _Lieutenant Jaxes._ He thought in near rage, the foolish officer would cause all their deaths.

Many of the stormtroopers brought their own weapons to bear, aiming them at their unseen enemy.

A shot rang out.

For a second, Will was lost. Then the sound of a bolt impacting armor with a sickening crack brought him back to reality. The sound was followed by agonized screaming. A heavytrooper fell into the sand, a bolt hitting him in the abdomen. The armored man squirmed on the ground as he groaned in pain, his gloved hand clutching his wound.

The next sound heard was blasters being powered up as the stormtroopers aimed their rifles up towards the dunes. Captain Phamsa herself had broken her gaze from Will and had her own rifle pointed towards the surrounding night.

On some level, Will accepted the fact that he was about to die. But, on another level, he wanted to fight to survive, and by goodness he would.

"Wait for a kriffing second!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice slightly cracking as it was unused to such levels of stress. The action had the reaction he was looking for, no shots were fired. Instead the stormtroopers were now staring at him, and his own troops were most likely staring in shock, having never heard such anger from their commander. "I am trying to ensure that no one dies tonight! Do you people have a death wish?" Will said in a flabbergasted tone.

"It would be an honor to die for the First Order." A stormtrooper wearing an orange pauldron- a sergeant- spoke up.

Will turned to the soldier and stared at him. "Sergeant, while I do not doubt your conviction, I do not want to carry a guilty conscience with me the rest of my existence, knowing that I let you and your fellow troopers die here tonight."

The statement got reactions from Phasma, the pauldron wearing trooper, and a flametrooper, all of whom turned their bodies towards Will. Will sighed, knowing that he had just bought precious time. Turning his head to face the dunes, he directed his anger at the man he thought responsible for the incident.

"Lieutenant Jaxes! I did not order you to fire, nor did I give any indication for you to order as such! Your actions have resulted in a soldier being shot, something I find unacceptable! I will not hear any of the pitiful excuses from your disgusting maw! I will deal with you after this has been cleared up!" He raged at the soldier he could not see, knowing that a look of fear crossed the disgusting man's face. It gave him satisfaction knowing that he could inspire such fear in one's mind.

Now that he had reprimanded his foolish officer, Will moved to diffuse the situation entirely. "Garrison troops will lower your weapons and flip safeties on at once!" He commanded in a stern voice which echoed in the silent night. The sound of rifles being lowered, and safeties being clicked into place greeted his order.

Confident that his men had fully followed his order, Will directed his attention once more to the stormtroopers, particularly towards Captain Phasma. The chrome trooper had brought her blaster down to her side, her cape fluttered in a slight breeze. Behind her, her men had yet to lower their blasters.

Anders could not blame them for not doing so. But he realized that both parties had to lower their weapons to ensure that no further harm came to his or Phasma's men.

"Captain Phasma, I have ordered my men to lower their arms. I think it appropriate that your men do the same." Will asked the captain, who had yet to say anything since one of her soldiers had been wounded.

* * *

Captain Phasma first thought was to shoot the man for daring to request an action so foolish. One of her men, TD-9815, " Trix", was down because of Anders' men.

" I will not be your prisoner, neither will I order my men to expose themselves to the sights of your men." She growled angrily.

The major before her signed in what she thought was annoyance. "Captain, I understand your concern, but your trooper needs aid, and I will not have him dying tonight. I will save him with or without your cooperation."

"You think you can order me around? Think you can scare me?" Phamsa seethed in anger at the thought of being so. "Are we already your captives?" She said mockingly.

The young major shook his head. "No captain you are not. I am prepared to let you and your men go unmolested, if you lower your weapons and allow me to administer aid to your downed soldier."

The sincerity in the soldier's voice surprised Phasma. Not only that, he had raged on one of his soldiers, for injuring one of her men, an enemy. The Resistance was supposed to be sworn enemies to she and her men, and she had never before encountered such behavior from either Resistance or First Order officers concerning prisoners. Many officers on both sides simply ordered their men to kill any wounded or surrendering soldiers, herself included. But the officer standing before her defied that logic; he had defended her soldiers from his own men, something she had never seen before. Perhaps this young man before her was the epitome of a proper military officer.

* * *

Will waited in tense silence; the only sound heard was the continued groans of the wounded heavytrooper. Finally, after many seconds of excruciating silence, Will heard the words that were music to his ears.

"Lower your weapons." Phamsa ordered her men, her helmet still staring into Will's soul.

Slowly the stormtroopers lowered their weapons, many either staring at will or at the surrounding dunes. It was apparent that they were still very uneasy with the situation.

"Much appreciated captain. Now may I have permission to give aid to the wounded soldier?" Will knew it sounded crazy, but if Phasma was anything like him, she was fiercely protective of her men.

* * *

Phasma was again surprised. Had the young major really just asked her permission to aid an enemy soldier? Either he was foolish or brilliant, but Phamsa was not about to let one of her men expire on the sands of this backwater planet.

"Granted." She said simply, her voice quite a bit lighter than before.

Without pausing, the cloaked Resistance major stepped forward towards her, looking at her as he neared. He went around Phasma, who turned around as Anders passed, and went over to the wounded soldier. Every stormtrooper helmet was fixed on his every movement. A sergeant standing near the wounded soldier tensed up as he got nearer.

Will noticed this and put his hands up in a placating manner as he walked, hoping to dissuade the soldier from doing anything stupid.

The injured heavytrooper was now sitting up in the sand, softly groaning in pain, his hand still on his wound. Will knelt before him and snapped his fingers to get the man's attention.

When the man lifted his helmet, Will nearly expected the man to jump in fright or defense, having never been so close to the enemy before. However, the man merely stared at Will.

Will leaned close to the helmet before him, close enough to hear the pained breaths the trooper took. "Will you let me help you, trooper?" He asked in a soft but respectful tone.

The man was silent but nodded after a few seconds. Will put his right hand on the man's shoulder plate to support him and lowered his gaze to the man's midsection. "Can you move your hand, I would very much like to see what I'm dealing with."

He man slowly moved his hand away, Will squeezed his hand on the man's shoulder, knowing he wouldn't feel it, but hoping to reassure him nonetheless. Will knew how scary it was to not know if you were going to live or die.

The trooper gasped in pain, and the sergeant nearest to him took a step closer to his injured comrade. Will turned his gaze to look at the sergeant.

"Halt sergeant." Phasma ordered Nines, seeing the man step toward Major Anders and Trix. While she couldn't trust his troops, she could begin to trust Anders to at least to give her soldier proper aid.

With the potential threat arrested at Phasma's order, Will turned his gaze back toward the injured trooper. "I know it hurts soldier, but I will patch you up until you are as good as new." He gave a small smile, the helmet before him seemingly staring into the depths of his soul.

A gloved hand grabbed the wrist of his left hand- which was placed on the man's stomach armor. The hand tugged, urging him closer, Will leaned towards the trooper.

"I do not want to die." The whisper was barely heard through the mask.

Will grabbed the gloved hand and gave a reassuring squeeze. "I will not let you."

The trooper nodded, satisfied with the answer.

Will then looked up and around at all the troopers staring at him. "Can one of you help me get his ammo vest off?"

For a moment all was silent and still, before the sergeant that had stepped towards him previously once again walked over to the pair. The pauldron wearing stormtrooper knelt down and helped Will undo the various straps and buckles. With the trooper's ammo vest of, the sergeant once again stood up and gazed down at Will.

Will looked up and gave the man a nod. "Thank you sergeant."

"Krax." The stormtrooper said.

Will smiled. "Much appreciated sergeant Krax," and soon got back to work assessing the wound. Without turning his head he began to speak. "Captain Phasma, your soldier here has a sever wound. We have no speeders on base to get him back to the shuttle for transport back to your ship. However, we have the necessary equipment to treat him here."

Will heard nothing for a few seconds, then the sound of compacted sand crunching before heavy feet. Two armored shins came into his view. Looking up he saw the intimidating mask of Captain Phasma looking down at him. "Are you suggesting I leave my soldier here unguarded, surrounded by the very men who tried to kill him?" The anger in Phasma's voice had returned.

Will shook his head profusely. "Not at all captain, even I think that's an absurd idea. I propose that you and a squad of your men stay behind with your injured comrade. I will escort your remaining men back to your shuttle, and also order the three troopers there to be released. They may then head back unmolested. However, I require that you or your soldiers do not mention this to anyone."

"And why is that, Major?" Phasma asked, staring down at the young major, and Will could hear the curiosity coloring her electronic voice.

"Because the Resistance would have not only my uniform, but my head as well." Will said truthfully, and thought he heard a couple of amused snorts from the helmets of the troopers, including Phasma herself.

"Very well Major Anders. I accept your conditions. However, I have one stipulation for our little agreement." Phasma said as she looked up at the dunes where Anders' soldiers lay.

"Name it." Will said.

"That the only men allowed near Trix are yourself and your medics. I will not hesitate to shoot anyone I suspect of posing a threat to my men's safety." Phasma's tone turned dark.

Will smiled, realizing that he and this enemy officer were more alike than previously thought. "I would expect nothing less."

 **I'm still on the fence about this chapter. I might change it I might not.**

 **Apologies ahead of time for spelling errors, I typed this up late at night and was tired. I am also on limited time for this chapter which is why I have decided to split this chapter in half.**

 **-LittleP**


	6. Jaxes Revenge

Chapter 5: Jaxes Revenge

After accepting Phasma's stipulation, Will cocked his head towards the surrounding dunes. "Miss Tali!" He called out to seemingly no one.

"Sir?" A voice called out from the darkness.

Will smiled. "I am once again in need of your assistance. Sergeant, will you come down here?" Will disguised the order as a question, hoping it would draw this needed soldier down; he knew his troops deeply distrusted, even hated anything and anyone pertaining to the First Order.

After a few moments he heard the reply he was hoping for. "Yes sir", slowly a figure moved its way down the dune. As the figure drew closer it took on a distinctive humanoid shape, and when it moved into the light of the village the woman's face was revealed. She was around twenty five years old, dark red hair, freckles adorned her face, and she had hazel eyes. The uniform this woman wore indicated the rank of sergeant, and on her tan sleeves were the galactic symbols of a medic.

As she moved closer, the stormtroopers eyed her with stares of suspicion. Phasma's helmet tracked her every movement as she passed between her soldiers and towards Trix.

Reaching her crouched commander and the wounded heavytrooper, she knelt down in the sand next to the pair. "What is the situation sir?" Tali asked, her gaze moving over the injured trooper.

Will looked at her, and then moved his eyes back to the helmet of the injured trooper, Trix; the helmet was slowly moving between Anders and Tali. "Blast wound to the abdominal region. Armor absorbed some of the impact, but bolt still managed to penetrate." Will gave the assessment in the voice of a medical professional, yet he lacked any formal training. Any medical knowledge he had learned was acquired on the battlefield.

Sergeant Tali's gaze moved over the man once more as she did her own assessment. After a few moments of looking to enemy trooper over, she nodded in agreement. "I agree sir. Per your orders, we will need to set him up for the night."

Will nodded, "I agree"; He gently relinquished his grasp on Trix's armor, leaving the soldier in the care of Tali for the moment. Standing up, he walked over to Captain Phasma. Standing before that caped soldier, he composed himself before speaking. "Captain, I will take Trix to my personal quarters. As per your stipulation, you and your platoon may remain with him." Will waited to see a reaction from the captain, seeing none, he continued. "Also per our arrangement, you can post guards outside. However, I will also post my own trusted soldiers as well."

Phasma, as she had done many times previously that night, simply nodded and said nothing.

Nodding in response to Phasma's nod, Will moved back towards Trix and Tali. As he walked back through the enemy troopers, he saw that in his absence, Sergeant Krax had taken to hovering over his medic. Will smiled at the sight; it was obvious that First Order soldiers obviously looked out for each other, contrary to Resistance propaganda.

Reaching Trix, Krax took a couple of steps back to allow Anders to kneel next to the wounded soldier once more. "Okay Trix, we are going to get you on your feet. Do you think you can walk?" Will asked as he looked at the visor facing him.

"I think I can." The shaky and soft voice came from within the helmet, barely audible; then with an added gasp, "sir."

"Okay," Tali said, "we will do this on the count of three."

Will moved to the side of Trix and put his right arm around the man's shoulder plates.

"One."

Tali moved her head underneath the armpit of the trooper and gripped his forearm.

"Two."

Will put his left hand on Trix's chest armor, directly above his heart; Will felt the rapid tempo of beats as the final second came. He felt Trix tense, getting ready for the pain that would surely come with the movement.

"Three."

In one great heave of breath, Trix used his thigh muscles to lift himself off of the sand, Tali and Will gripping and lifting with all their strength. The trooper gasped in pain, and almost stumbled, but Will's grip around his shoulders steadied him.

"And now we walk. Take it nice and slow." Will told Trix as the trooper began taking tentative steps; neither Will nor Tali relinquished their grips.

Slowly the trio made their way towards Will's hut, the platoon of regular, flame, and heavy troopers following behind, with Phasma bringing up the rear of the group.

Within a few agonizing minutes, the group reached Will's hut. Slowly shepherding Tali and Trix up the small set of stairs, Will opened the door and turned on the light; Will then returned to gripping Trix around his shoulders. Once the three were inside, Tali released her grip and began moving the various obstacles- chairs, a desk, and other pieces of equipment- out of their way as Will and Trix neared the single bunk. Behind them, the many footsteps bounded up the stairs and into the hut.

 _I guess the entire platoon is going to squeeze in here_. Will thought in amusement.

The injured trooper stumbled, nearly taking Will down with him. But a hand caught the trooper's shoulder plate. Looking over, Will noticed that the hand was gloved and covered in armor.

"Thank you captain," Will said, and as the many times before, received no response. Instead the armored hand pushed incessantly, and both Trix and Will understood the message. They moved over to the bunk, and stopped directly above it. Slowly, Will urged the trooper to sit, the man gasping behind his helmet as his upper thighs finally hit the soft mattress. Will moved to crouch down, while Phasma towered above him; and gripped the trooper's shin armor. In one quick motion, he had lifted the man's legs and put them on the bed. Trix did not scream, but Will knew he wanted to. Hell the movement looked painful even to him. The trooper's entire body shook and both of his gloved hands shot to the wound on his abdomen.

"Apologies," Will said in sympathy, he knew how painful an injury like that could be.

Sergeant Tali soon stood above him, as did Captain Phasma.

"Sir," Tali got his attention. "Captain Howe has arrived with his troops, he is looking for you." She told Will.

"Damn." Will muttered, or thought he muttered, Phasma, and more than a couple of her troops that had crammed themselves into his hut had turned their heads at the word. He stood and maneuvered his way through the dense pillars of armored flametroopers, heavytroopers, and regular stormtroopers. Getting past a final trooper, Will stepped out into the night.

* * *

Captain Rex Howe was not a happy man. He had woken up with a soldier banging on his door, explaining to him that stormtroopers were spotted and that his superior, Major William Anders, had mobilized him. Here he was, wearing his sleeping garments, carrying a blaster, and waiting for his superior to arrive.

* * *

As he stood outside, Anders knew that his men and women still watched silently from the dunes. "All soldiers will disengage and return to their barracks. Have a good night." He said in a stern voice, and soon it seemed like the hills were alive. Many shadows moved down the dunes, obscured until entering the village light, as his soldiers made their ways back to their bunks. Then almost as an afterthought, "Captain Howe, front and center."

As some of the soldiers retreated towards their barracks, some dared to try and move towards the hut that housed the platoon of First Order soldiers. They were turned away when they noticed Anders' death glare and his finger tapping the butt of his blaster.

Mixed in among the returning tan uniformed soldiers, was someone Will did not expect to see, at least not dressed like so. Captain Howe, in sleeping wear, carrying a blaster pistol, and a knife tucked into the waistband of his pants. Will smiled widely at the sight of his close friend; the two having fought together in the civil war.

"Captain, I see you mobilized very fast." Will quipped, earning him a scowl from his friend.

"Only on your rash orders, sir." Howe replied with a smirk. He looked over Will's shoulder at the back of a flametrooper. "Are those the stormies I was told were, or rather are, here?"

Will nodded. "Where are your troops?" He asked Rex.

"In the dunes." The Captain replied.

"Ahh, well you might want to send them back to base." Will said slowly, knowing the reaction it would cause.

"They are gonna hate you. Made them rush out of bed, rush over here, and now they have to go home." Rex Howe said with a smirk.

"Tough," Will replied, "they are in the military, and I am their commanding officer. Now Captain Howe, follow me."

Will and Rex walked towards the hut, the sound of their approaching footsteps caused the troopers inside to turn their heads and stare at the new individual.

Will and Rex climbed the steps, and the flametrooper that had taken up the doorway moved aside for the pair. They had just stepped inside when a voice stopped them.

"Sir, I need you to talk to me." A stern and confident voice said.

Will growled under his breath. The action caused Rex to turn his head to look at him, and caused every person in the hut to turn in his direction. He hated this miscreant with a passion.

" I do not need to give a subordinate reasons to my decision making Lieutenant Jaxes, move along." Will sighed deeply and took a step further into the hut, intent of going over to the bunk where Trix lay.

Captain Phasma towered over the bunk, and was staring at him.

"But sir! They are the enemy! Only a fool would make such a rash decision." Jaxes said in a frustrated tone.

Will stopped in his tracks and his face took on a look of calm. The troopers nearest to him simply stared in confusion at the abupt change in attitude. But Howe knew what that face meant.

"Uh oh." He whispered beneath his breath.

In a split second Will had stalked out of the hut and had all but glided down the stairs. Behind him Rex stepped out onto the steps and a couple of troopers crowded around the doorway, curious as to what was about to happen.

Will stalked over to Jaxes, and without a word, leveled him with a bare knuckled punch to the face. The man cried out in pain and fell to the sand, his hand clutching his now broken nose.

Will then turned around and headed back over towards the hut, Rex and the troopers gladly stepping aside. Will had just made his way back into his hut when he heard the tell tale click of a blaster pistol being put off of safety. Beside him, a stormtrooper clicked the safety of his blaster rifle off. Will reached out and gripped the trooper's rifle, shaking his head. This was his renegade soldier and he would deal with him.

* * *

Phasma had silently stalked her way towards the doorway, ending up directly behind Major Anders. She was able to see that the Lieutenant he had just pummeled was on his feet and pointing a blaster at the officer.

She silently curled her finger around the trigger of her own blaster rifle, hidden in the folds of her cape, having never bothered to put it on safety. If the young major was to fall, she would take this threat out, and if that caused the others to come, then so be it. She and her men would fight to the death.

To say she was surprised by the young major's actions would be an understatement. She could safely speak for the rest of her men; none of them ever expected this from a Resistance soldier, let alone an officer. Up until an hour ago, she would never have considered such a thought, but now, after what had transpired, she could say that she respected this enemy officer immensely. His ability to put others before himself, even enemies, was not only a noble quality, it was the hallmark of a good leader.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that when she returned to reality, the young major, Anders, was no longer standing in front of her. He was walking down the steps, toward a man who with one shot, could very well end his life.

If that were to happen, Phasma would see to it that he would get a proper burial. He deserved one at the very least.

* * *

Will could feel every eye on him, the stormtroopers, his men and women in the barracks, and Howe's soldiers in the dunes above.

He moved closer to Jaxes, the man's hand outstretched with a blaster pistol held firm in his grip, aimed directly at him.

"Jaxes, what are you doing?" He asked in a calm and frustrated tone, as if oblivious to the danger. He had known Jaxes had resented him since their time together during the civil war. He had gotten promoted by his prowess in battle, while Jaxes, who had used his father's political influence, was given a commission and had no idea how to fight.

Jaxes gave him a cold smile. "You have spoken down to me one too many times William. To tell you the truth I have always thought I was a better leader. I should have been the leader of this regiment, not some orphan farm boy."

Will was angry, but he knew he had to keep it in check. "Well, I am sorry you feel that way." The remark only seemed to increase Jaxes' anger.

"Silence you pest! Here tonight, in front of your men I will end you." Jaxes steadied his grip on the blaster.

"You could try, but there are at least one hundred witnesses, you will not escape." Will smiled, "I have better things to do than to quarrel with a civilian. I hereby strip you of your rank and standing in this garrison." The look of shock on Jaxes' face amused Will. He turned away from Jaxes and began walking towards the hut.

Jaxes lowered his gun in shock, staring at the retreating form of his commander. He hardened his resolve, he was going to kill Will tonight, and it was the last straw. Steeling his resolve, he brought the blaster back up intent on shooting his commander in the back.

Will was just nearing the stairs when he saw both Howe and Phasma start.

"Will!" Rex screamed in terror.

Then a flash of light and the roar of a blaster being fired; a smoking hole appeared in between Jaxes eyes as he fell lifelessly to the sand. Still standing facing the shocked Rex Howe, Will smiled and holstered his smoking blaster pistol. He walked up the remaining stairs and into the hut.

Silence greeted him; everyone was staring at him, all in shock.

"How in the hell are you alive?" Howe asked coming up behind up, surprise coloring his voice.

Will smiled and chuckled. "I did not come out completely unscathed." He lifted his jacket up to show a hole through the lower flap, right where his pistol was holstered.

"You fired through your damn coat?" Tali said in amazement.

Will was sure he noticed a couple troopers shaking their helmets in shock and surprise.

"How did you hit him so accurately? An electronic voice said. Will turned and noticed Sergeant Krax was staring at him.

"Practice makes perfect Krax. Although, shooting through your clothes is not recommended." He thought he heard a snort from the pauldron wearing stormtrooper.

He made his way over to the bed, before halting in the middle of the room. Will turned around towards Howe. "May I introduce Captain Howe, my subordinate."

Howe nodded at the troopers around him, before turning to Phasma, who still stood in the doorway, blaster rifle held in her gloved hands. "Captain." He nodded in respect, earning a nod from Phasma.

Satisfied with the greeting, Will made his way over to Trix, who had taken his helmet off. His chiseled features and closely cut regulation style black hair rested on the pillow.

"Now, time to patch you up."

 **Had hoped to finish this part of the story in one chapter, but it is almost 3AM and I am tired, having completed a 13 hour drive in a single day. Rest assured that this part of the story will be completed in the next chapter! Still haven't seen the movie as I fear it will be too crowded to enjoy fully, but man, I am itching to see it!**

 **I'm thinking of making Sergeant Krax the Daniel Craig stormtrooper that he supposedly plays in a cameo appearance in TFA.**

 **-LittleP**


	7. Enemies Once More

Chapter 6: Enemies Once More

Will asked Tali to get the proper supplies to begin treating Trix, the wounded heavytrooper. After the medic brought the supply kit over to the bunk, Will, turned back towards Howe.

"Captain Howe, I am stationing you outside as a watch." He saw Rex nod and subsequently step out. He turned to look at Phasma.

"Nines, Krax, and Trigger," Phasma said, the three stormtroopers looking at their commander, "position yourselves right outside the doorway. Stop anyone and everyone who comes near."

"Aye sir." Nines said as he and his fellow sergeant, Krax, and a heavytrooper by the name of Trigger walked out of the hut.

Will stared at the three as they left, then turned his attention back to Trix. He momentarily stared at the man's eyes before moving his gave towards Tali.

" You may begin when ready, Sergeant." He spoke softly to her and nodded.

Tali began rummaging through her kit. "He's going to have to lose the armor." She said, not bothering to look up from her task.

Will nodded and looked up to Trix. "This may hurt some, but we are going to have to remove the armor in order to get at your wound."

"I understand,sir." Trix said quietly and with a tone of respect. In Trix's mind, even though Anders was an enemy combatant, he was a superior rank, and his actions here tonight made him deserving of Trix's respect.

Will smiled and laughed lightly. "Please Trix, I know your name, it is only right you know mine; William Anders at your service." He would have shaken the trooper's hand, but seeing as said trooper had a severe blaster wound, he thought against it.

Trix smiled in response but said nothing, turning his gaze to stare down his armored legs.

Will decided that it would be a good time to get going on taking the man's armor off. As he looked over the white plating, he noticed an awful lot of straps and buttons, and soon he became as confused as ever. He could not begin to imagine where to start.

Stuck in his confused thoughts, it was not until a shadow loomed over him that Will was shaken from his mind. Turning his head, Will was greeted with the sight of Captain Phasma, once again, standing over him. Her imposing stature made Will look like a small doll as she stood above him. Looking further behind her chrome armor, Will saw that her cape swayed slightly with each breath the captain took.

"I will assist you in removing the armor as your appear to be unfamiliar with such a task." Phasma said in a commanding voice.

Will was surprised; it was the first time he had heard Captain Phasma speak to him in a while; most of the times remaining silent or nodding an answer.

Will looked back up at the emotionless chrome helmet. "That would be much appreciated, Captain Phasma."

Without uttering a word or making a gesture, Phasma clipped her blaster to her thigh armor, and knelt down; a loud crunch was created as her armored knee met the sand beneath her. Her dark cape folding in upon itself at the armored captain took a knee next to the bunk.

Her armored hand moved to grip the upper chest armor of Trix, the trooper staring in surprise as his superior began to assist him.

"Roll on your side, Trix." Phasma ordered in a stern tone, the trooper complying immediately, rolling slowly on his side, his wound causing him excruciating pain. After a few moments of movement, he had bared his back armor for Will and Phasma.

"Major Anders," Phasma said as she turned towards the enemy officer. She smiled slightly behind her mask when she saw the young officer jump at her voice. "Grip the upper straps of the chest armor," she pointed to the area with her gloved and armored hands, "I will get the lower straps undone."

"Sure," Will mumbled quietly as he set about his task. Within a minute, both had undone the straps of the chest armor.

"Push." Phasma ordered, and Will complied. The two worked in tandem as they slowly pushed the chest armor away from Trix's back, until it landed on the bed beside the injured trooper, who still lay on his side.

Will drew in a breath of relief. He knew it caused Trix pain, but at least removing the chest armor had not worsened the injury.

"I presume we begin on working with the lower abdominal armor?" Will posed the question, but already knew the answer would be an affirmative.

"Correct," Phasma said, "but first we must remove this."She placed her gauntleted hand on a cylindrical device at the base of the back, a device that Will recognized as a thermal detonator. "We do not want to blow ourselves up trying to save a life." Phasma said as she unclipped the detonator and put it cautiously down beside her on the sand.

Will stared at the captain in shock. Had she just made a joke? Will was not sure he had heard the captain correctly, but her voice had all but revealed the smile that lay behind the mask when she made the statement. Will shook his head, exasperated.

He and Captain Phasma soon began working on the armor, the movements causing pained gasps to come from Trix.

As Will worked, he was lost in his thoughts. _I cannot imagine what this scene looks like right now._ And boy was that the truth. Here he was, a Resistance officer, aiding an injured First Order stormtrooper, surrounded by stormtroopers, being guarded by stormtroopers, having his trusted Captain Howe stand guard over the hut where all these stormtroopers were, and killing his own lieutenant for shooting an enemy stormtrooper. Will closed his eyes for a moment, if this did not get him arrested and imprisoned by the Resistance, he did not know what would. He really hoped none of this came to light, for if it did, he knew a good number of soldiers in the Resistance who would be out for his blood.

For a moment, Will was terrified, but then, as he stared at Trix as he lay on his side, the upper half of his black bodysuit exposed, Will knew he was doing the right thing. He had learned in the civil war that it was morally wrong to not give aid to an injured soldier, enemy or not. And hell, if that made people in the Resistance mad, then for all intensive purposes, they could shove it.

Will was so lost in his mind that he had not even registered that he and Captain Phasma had undone the lower abdominal armor, and that Captain Phasma had ordered Trix to lie on his back once more. The sound of Phasma standing from her kneeling position was what shook Will from his thoughts. He turned his head back towards the chrome armored trooper, her right knee pad slightly dusty from kneeling beside him.

"Thank you for the assistance captain." Will said with sincerity.

Phasma nodded in response.

 _So we are back to nods?_ Will thought as he turned around, a smile coming upon his face. He looked towards Sergeant Tali, who gave him a nod of readiness; soon after, he and she began their work on saving the injured enemy soldier.

* * *

Captain Phasma stood staring at the tan colored uniform of Major Anders. As the pair of Resistance soldiers got to work on Trix, she turned her head down towards her right knee pad. The once shiny piece of armor was dull with dust when she had knelt down to assist Anders in his removal of Trix's armor. The thought of the young officer brought confusion to her mind. All night long she had pondered about why this one officer had treated her and her men like such. From her many previous encounters with Resistance officers and soldiers, they were only too happy to fire at sign of white armor they saw. But this one was different. He shied away from bloodshed, openly pleading with both her and his own men not to fire. Even more shocking, he had aided Trix, a wounded enemy combatant who would have easily ended his life without a spare thought. And then he did the unthinkable, he had killed one of his own subordinate officers over his actions tonight. Phasma could not remember the last time she had heard of such an action, perhaps Lord Vader of the Galactic Empire was the last superior who openly killed his incompetent subordinates.

A question rang its way through Phasma's mind. Why?

Raising her head up from her dirtied knee cap, she looked around at her other soldiers standing around the small hut. All of their gazes were fixed on the bunk before them, and the two enemy officers who held their comrade's life in their hands. No doubt they were feeling some of the confusion Phasma was, wondering why the enemy would go to such lengths to save a stormtrooper. Why had this officer not ordered his men to fire on them immediately?

Phasma knew she would get these questions from her men at a later date. And for the life of her, she could not begin to answer them.

* * *

Outside, Captain Rex Howe stood guard. Standing opposite of Will's hut, he was able to peer in at the mass of white clad bodies that stood inside. Surrounding the door, on either side of the steps were two sergeants, their orange pauldrons detonating their rank. To the right of them stood the third trooper, one that wore an ammo vest, the trooper staring out towards the barracks of Anders' men, watching for the slightest movement.

As he stood, clad in his sleeping clothes, and palming his blaster pistol, Rex could only begin to imagine why Will had done this. Of course, he had a pretty good idea. Fighting the civil war alongside Will, he had seen his commander grow from a radical young private, who called for death upon all enemies, into a colonel; who was reluctant to battle and now actively tried to save his enemies, whether injured or prisoners of war.

He heard voices from inside the hut, and gave a small audible chuckle. Oh yes, the civil war had turned his friend into a compassionate little thing, but Will was not without his viciousness. Howe turned his head towards the body of Jaxes that still lay in the sand a few steps away from him.

He turned his head to look at the troopers standing guard with him, and he noticed that one of them had been staring at him for quite some time. He knew the man was thinking about what had transpired tonight, Rex could almost imagine the questions that were going through his head.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he got back to his mission. And there he stood, unflinching, and eyes wandering, watching for any threat, whether from the enemy, or his own men.

* * *

Aiding the injured trooper had taken time, and by the time Tali and Will agreed that Trix's injuries were stable enough for him to be transported, the first rays of morning light were beginning to appear on the horizon.

Sitting on his behind, Will let his aching joints rest for a moment; he sighed deeply and stood up, turning around in the process. He looked around the hut and noticed that no stormtrooper had sat down, some had changed their position but none had waivered. It was admirable to say the least.

Will closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face, yawning silently in the process. When he opened his eyes once more, he found himself staring face to face with Captain Phasma.

"Captain," he said taking a step back, "Trix is stable, he is ready to be transported off world. Although, he will need more care than we can give here."

Phasma gave a slight nod.

Will sighed and moved past her and through the mass of stormtroopers; eventually reaching his front door. He stood in the doorway for a moment, aware that the two sergeants standing on either side guarding it, Nines and Hux, along with the troopers inside, were looking at him.

Uneasy at being the center of attention once more, he walked down the steps and joined his worn looking captain.

"How are you holding up Rex?" He asked in a tired voice.

" Oh, as good as I could be in my sleeping garments." Rex said smiling, earning a laugh from Will.

"Excellent." Will said, " Howe, ensure that Huxly has the shuttle ready, I am sure these troops will want to be getting back."

Rex looked hopeful as he listened to his commander. "Does that mean I am off guard duty?"

Will nodded.

Rex pumped his fist in a very immature manner before he grabbed a comm from his shirt and informed Huxly of Anders' command.

Will turned around and walked back towards a hut, a smile on his face. He walked past the two sergeants guarding the door, and through the maze of troopers. In the time he was talking with Howe, Tali had gotten Trix in a standing position, although he was heavily leaning on the two troopers who aided him.

Captain Phasma and Tali stood off to the side, both staring at him. Will walked over and removed his peaked cap for the first time since he had heard of the incoming enemy troopers. His brownish reddish hair disheveled from being confined for such a long time. He turned to Tali and addressed her first. "Excellent work Tali, you have shown exceptional abilities in the handling of this unique situation, and for that you have earned a deserved promotion. Congratulations, Lieutenant."

He saw Tali's eyes light up in glee at his words. "Thank you, sir. Your words mean more than you know."

Will nodded, "You should go catch up on some shut eye while you still can." He gave her a small smile.

"I agree." Tali said as she began to walk to the door.

"Lieutenant." A voice stopped her, Will looked towards Captain Phasma.

Tali turned around to face the armored trooper who had watched over her and Anders like a predator stalking prey. "Yes captain?" She asked in a soft and respectful tone.

"Thank you." Phasma said.

The word shocked Will into momentary speechlessness. But Tali smiled and nodded. "Just doing my job." She said before walking out of the hut. Will was now left alone, surrounded by stormtroopers.

He turned to Phasma, who was now staring at him. Gathering his thoughts, he thought about what the future would bring. "Captain Phasma, I have ordered Captain Howe to prep your shuttle for departure back to your transport. Your comms will be unjammed once your shuttle has lifted off of the ground. I will escort you alone to your shuttle; I suggest we leave soon in order to avoid any unwanted suspicion."

Phasma nodded, "Agreed." She said before she looked to her men. "Prepare to depart." She commanded them, then walked over to the door and ordered her three men off of guard duty.

Within three minutes they were ready to leave. The platoon slowly exited the hut in single file order, Trix and the two troopers supporting him struggling but managing to squeeze through the narrow opening; with the stormtroopers forming a defensive circle around Trix, with Phasma leading their front.

Will turned to Howe who watched the proceedings.

"Captain you have the base." He said before walking over to the group, taking up their rear.

"Understood." Howe said as he watched the group begin to move off.

* * *

As the group got farther and farther away from his base, a cold seed of worry began to seed itself in Will's mind. Back at the base, he had the numbers, now out here; he was outnumbered and surrounded by the enemy. They could very easily overpower him, and either end him, or take him prisoner. Will half expected them to.

But no, they kept walking on as if nothing was amiss, as if nothing was out of the ordinary, despite having a Resistance officer bringing up their rear.

 _Their most vulnerable position,_ Will realized. With their white armored backs presented to him, Will could have simply pointed his blaster at the unknowing troopers, and fired.

But he was not about to stoop so low. These soldiers, these enemy soldiers, had allowed an enemy officer, who was armed, to bring up their rear. It was the utmost show of trust, however blind that trust could possibly be. But the notion of such a thought left Will feeling deeply honored.

The shuttle soon appeared on the horizon, and grew larger. The sun was just now beginning to peak about the rocky horizon, its light gleaming off of the helmets and armor of the troopers, especially Captain Phasma.

Beneath the shuttle stood ten of Will's men, their tan uniforms standing in stark contrast to the three stormtroopers standing in front of them.

Seeing the former prisoners released made Will smile, at least Huxly knew how to follow orders.

Without a word, the troopers marched past Huxly and his band and began to march up the lowered shuttle ramp. Will stopped a few steps away from the ramp, watching the armored bodies enter the shuttle.

Captain Phasma stood off to the side as her men marched past. As soon as the last one had entered she faced Will.

"Major Anders, I would say I am surprised, but that would not begin to detail my surprise at your actions." Phasma began to speak, her electronic voice was commanding in tone. Above her, standing at the crest of the ramp, some of the troopers stared down on the exchange with interest. "I thank you for caring for Trix." She added, before falling silent.

"It was my pleasure Captain Phasma. I cannot stand to watch one suffer, be it ally or foe." Will said simply as he stared back at Phasma. The sun glinted off of her armor, almost making Will squint his eyes. "I fear that our next encounter may not be so civilized. I wish you the best, Captain Phasma."

"And you as well, Major Anders." Phasma responded.

Will nodded, and then took a deep breath, readying himself to do something that had not been done in the Resistance since he could remember. He slowly brought his hand to the brim of his peaked cap and clicked his heels together, giving Phasma a salute.

Phasma stood stock still for a few seconds before she returned the gesture of respect, giving Will a salute of her own.

Breaking off the salute, Phasma walked up the ramp as it closed behind her. Will ended his salute as he, Huxly, and his men stepped away from the shuttle.

The whine of the engines vibrated the ground and soon the craft had lifted off and disappeared into the morning sky.

 **End Scene, finally after 3 chapters. Again, I apologize about grammar and/or syntax errors in advance.**

 **I received a PM about this story, and I hope to resolve any confusion that I may've caused. With this story, I hope to accomplish two basic goals: detail the emerging relationship between Phasma and Anders ( as well as their connection), and to show the human side of warfare, that it isn't just good vs evil.**


	8. Familiar Target

Chapter 7: A Familiar Target

Phasma stepped off the shuttle, following her tired and weary men. The past day had been more stressful than most, she kept on her toes in case her platoon were attacked. However, the past day was also a big surprise. She and her men had found both aid and protection in a Resistance base, surrounded by Resistance soldiers. All because of one man, a young farm boy from a planet called Semia.

The man intrigued her, being around him made the once constant ache in her head subside. She had no idea if the two were correlated, but it made her think.

Who was this man? And why did he do what he did?

She soon found herself wanting to know more about this enemy officer than anyone she had ever encountered, even those individuals who she stalked per General Hux's orders.

She knew her men had a great deal of questions, even if she could not see their faces, she knew in the way their body language, and they way they talked; as if each of their sentences rose in intonation to a question mark at the end.

She steered away from her men and towards her own quarters. After a day in this armor, she felt absolutely gross, and she needed a long shower before she could think any further. Will that she entered her quarters and proceeded about her business.

* * *

Trix sat in a medical bunk in the small medical wing of the transport. He would only be here a day before being transferred to the much larger and better equipped medical bay of _The Finalizer._ Stripped of his armor, he lay his head on the soft pillow and watched with lidded eyes as a small medical droid went about cleaning the floors, making the surface gleam. He did not remembered when he fell asleep, but what he saw when he "woke up" was something he was not expecting.

He found himself in a lush green meadow. He looked down at himself and instantly recognized that he was clad in white armor, his bucket atop his head. Looking up and around he was surprised to find a great many other stormtroopers in the meadow, Captain Phasma, his superior stood to the far right of the group. Trix wondered what he was doing here. He knew this was a dream, but he did not recall a past mission where such a situation or such scenery had greeted him. He heard footsteps crunching in the grass behind him and turned to see a First Order officer- one he recognized as Major Vlosh- stepping towards the large formation of troopers. Behind him, he dragged what appeared to be a prisoner, the man's head was covered with a black hood, but his uniform was unique, something that Trix had never encountered before. It was light green in color, and bore uniform and rank markings that Trix had never encountered on either First Order officers. He surmised it must be a Resistance prisoner that the Major had captured. The Major stopped and turned, facing the group, as he forced the prisoners to his knees.

"Men of the First Order, you will finally witness a death that has been a long time coming." Vlosh said, as he then struck the prisoner in the gut, the defenseless man jerking at the blow. "This man here has caused more mayhem and humiliation than ever before, with the death of this pest, this orphan, this stupid little farm boy, and we shall begin our quest that will destroy the Resistance!"

A number of stormtroopers cheered, however, a cold pit formed in Trix's stomach. He had heard the term farm boy and orphan used recently, but he could not remember from where or when. Then the major ripped the hood off, and Trix was filled with dread. It was then he remembered where he had heard those terms, and at whom they were directed. Before him, kneeling in the sand was Major William Anders. The man who had crossed the barriers of war to save his life, the man who risked his life to save an enemy he had never even met; a man that had gained Trix's utmost respect.

Anders did not have his head held down in defeat; instead, his head was held high, his gaze towards the troopers who stood before him. Trix noticed that Vlosh had produced a blaster from his belt and now held it at the head of the young enemy officer.

Trix knew he could not do anything, despite how much he wanted to save the man. In the final moment, Anders turned his head and stared right a Trix, his pride filled gaze boring a hole through Trix's mask. Then Vlosh fired.

Trix shot up off the bunk, breathing heavily. He was in a panic at the nightmare he had just dreamed of. He was so caught up in his panicked thoughts that he did not realize that a medical droid had heard the commotion and was now by his bedside, trying to calm him down.

After a number of minutes, his breathing began to slow, and his heart finally began to cease its rapid beats. Trix had managed to calm himself, but he was anything but fine. He felt the need to tell someone, but, realizing that they would think him sympathetic to the enemy, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself.

* * *

Phasma had redressed herself in one of her many bodysuits and had reattached her armor. She had taken extra care in shining the chrome she wore, and made sure her cape was spotless before attaching it around her neck.

Ensuring that she was proper to leave her quarters, she fastened her helmet on her head then walked out the door. She intended to go see her men, before heading back to her quarters to begin research on William Anders.

She walked down the small halls of the transport, her men saluting as she passed. When she reached the onboard bunks for her battalion of soldiers, she stopped for a moment.

Did she really want to do this? No doubt some of her men would have questions, would she have the answers?

Phasma uncharacteristically physically shook her head, as if trying to will the doubting questions out of her mind. Palming a code, the door slid open, many of her men, some in armor some not, turned their heads at her arrival; all standing to attention as she walked through the doorway.

She walked to the center of the room before stopping, her dark cape swishing as she halted her steps. For a minute, no one spoke a word, until a voice came from behind a bunk.

"I have questions, sir." From behind a bunk, an unhelmeted but still armored trooper walked out, an orange pauldron on his soldier. He had short dirty blond hair and blue eyes.

Phasma turned to stare at the soldier. "What is your question, Sergeant Krax?"

"What I want to know, as do some of the men, is why?" Krax stated with a shrug of his armored soldiers. The sergeant walked through the line of soldiers and stood to the side of his commander.

"Why what?" Phasma asked, not knowing the answer to such a vague question.

"Why the young major did what he did." Krax clarified.

Phasma shook her head; she had sorely hoped she would not have been asked these questions. "You know I cannot answer that question. I have no idea what Major Anders was thinking, perhaps you should ask him the next time you see him."

The joke got a few smiles from her weary men. Krax himself even cracked a very rare smile. "Will we not be shooting at him and his men?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. He is an enemy officer, but one that I think crosses barriers when necessary." Phasma let her inner thoughts spill out, hoping it would satisfy some of her men.

"Whatever he does, whoever he fights for, the fact that he saved Trix, and killed his own soldier in our defense, earns his respect in my book." A new voice said, the form of a flametrooper by the name of Sudd appeared at the rear of the barracks.

Krax and a few others nodded. "Agreed. He may be an enemy, we may be told to kill him, but he has my utmost respect."

Phasma nodded but said nothing. She looked around and noticed that a majority of soldiers that stood before had looks of either confusion or anger on their faces. She realized that many of her men aboard had not been witness to the scene that had unfolded below. She knew those troopers were most likely horrified the way their comrades praised this unknown enemy scum, and perhaps they were thinking about reporting such behavior to Hux, or other officers, like Vlosh.

However, Phasma was not fazed at the thought. She knew she and her men would be thrown into battle as soon as they arrived on _The Finalizer_ , giving them no time to report such activity. Without a word she exited the barracks, having said nothing to her men in response to their words about Major Anders; because secretly, she had high respect for the young man herself.

* * *

As she walked back to her quarters, she was stopped by a beeping on her internal helmet comm. Seeing who it was from she immediately opened the channel of communication, not bothered by the face that she stood in the middle of a hallway.

The voice of General Hux reverberated throughout her helmet. "Captain Phasma, I hope your mission was successful?" Hux posed his thoughts as a question, although Phasma knew it was a demand.

"Unfortunately General Hux, we received very little information. It appears that none of the locals knew or saw anything besides the two criminals running through their villages and escaping on the freighter." She tensed at the thought of the rage building in the man she was talking to.

"Well what about the TIE wreckage? I certainly hope I did not send you there to waste time." General Hux seethed in anger.

Phasma collected her thoughts before speaking. "We found parts of armor, suggesting trooper Finn stripped and continued in something less revealing."

General Hux audibly sighed in anger. "Very well Captain Phasma. I have a new target for you."

"Who, sir?" Phasma asked quickly, hoping to end this conversation quickly.

" A man who has not only humiliated myself, but Major Vlosh and many other soldiers in this organization. This man is a menace to the galaxy, and needs to be taken care of." Hux's voice turned darker, and Phasma felt a shiver run down her spine at the evil in the man's voice. "You will find more information when you return to your quarters." Hux said before he disconnected communication.

Phasma briskly walked back to her quarters, all the while wondering who could enrage General Hux to the point he was.

She walked over to a small holotable set up near the fresher and activated it. A blue holopicture with a caption below it sprung to life.

For a moment Phasma forgot to breathe. She felt her lungs constricting, which was odd considering her helmet and bodysuit acted as a temporary life support system. Finally, after her chest began to burn she forced herself to take heavy breaths. Her warm breathe tickling her face inside her helmet, her great armored chest rising and falling as she drew in air.

Her eyes went to the caption beneath the holopicture. "Terminate on sight." It read simply, the meaning extremely clear.

Looking up once more, Phasma's shock grew to levels she thought impossible. A pain in her head caused her to close her eyes in pain. It was as if the Force was screaming out in both disbelief and anguish.

Before her, clad in a gray military uniform, a smile of his youthful face, was William Anders.


	9. Questions

Chapter 8: Questions

He knew he was in trouble, he just did not know when such trouble would arrive. He smiled at the irony of the Resistance apprehending one of its own officers. Although, he expected it, perhaps it was because he had left one of his former lieutenants lying dead in the sand.

He was in the midst of writing in his journal when they came, interestingly enough; it was a passage about Captain Phasma and her troopers.

There was a soft knock on his door. When he opened it he found Lieutenant Rogers standing on the steps, a look of trepidation on her face. Behind her stood three unknown soldiers, two were heavily armed and armored, and a third was dressed in the uniform of a captain; a blaster holstered on his belt.

He looked past Rogers and eyed the three soldiers. He then turned his attention back to Rogers, the look of uncertainty still plastered on her face. " Yes ,Rogers?"

Rogers cleared her throat before responding. "Sir, these three soldiers are here to take you in for questioning by the High Command Council."

He knew the reason, but decided to ask anyway. "Question me over what?"

Rogers looked confused, which brought a smile to Will's face. "The… the incident, sir."

Will gave another smile, "Oh yes, the incident."

Rogers gave a small smile of understanding, "Yes ,sir." She said before stepping down from the steps and standing to the side.

The four soldiers stared at each other for a second; the two heavy troopers wore tan tunics with yellow tinted masks that obscured their faces. The officer wore the same uniform, tan tunic, and black pants, sans the helmet. The markings on the officer's tunic gave him the rank of captain.

"What can I do for you tonight, captain?" Will asked, although, once again, he knew he would be going with them.

The officer smirked. "Well Anders, the High Command Council has ordered me to retrieve you and take you back to D'Qar. They wish to question you about your killing of one of you men."

"That is Major Anders to you, captain." Will snapped, he was not bothered if his men or even other soldiers did not use his title. However, the mocking tone in which this officer spat at him made him irritated.

"Apologies, Major Anders." The man once again said with a mocking tone.

Will clenched his jaw. "I will come with you; just let me get some things."

The three soldiers began to make their way towards the hut, intending to enter. Will, however, had other ideas. As the captain got to within a couple of inches from the doorway, he slammed the door in the man's face. "Sorry, the wind blew it closed!" He said, smiling to himself, as he went about packing some of his belongings. The trip to D'Qar from Jakku would be at least a day, if not two. He packed extra clothing, extra charger packs, his ankle high boots, as well as his journal. Ensuring that his large knife was sheathed on his shoulder strap, as well as his smaller switchblade he had concealed inside his breast pocket, he opened the door.

The look on the captain's face was priceless, and it took all of Will's control not to burst out laughing. "Well are we ready to be off?"

"Yes," the man replied tersely. With that he made his way down the steps, the two soldiers following obediently behind.

Will followed behind at a distance, as he walked down the steps he turned to Lieutenant Rogers. "Rogers, you have control over the base until I return. Contact Captain Howe and inform him of this development, I am sure he will be interested."

The woman nodded. "Aye, sir. Thanks for giving me the opportunity." She gave Will a small smile.

Will smiled back at the woman who had become his trusted subordinate. "You are welcome, Rogers. Now I must be off."

Will resumed following behind the team of Resistance soldiers. He noticed that they had set their shuttle down directly in the center of the village.

 _Disrespectful nerfherders,_ Will thought as he walked up the lowered ramp.

Once inside the small space, the officer stopped as the two heavy troops continued towards the cockpit. He turned around and faced Will.

" Major Anders, he is where you will be." He pointed to a small and very uncomfortable looking seat.

Will was not thrilled to spend a day in such space, but he had fared worse many times before. The only thing he would complain about would be a sore butt. He nodded wordlessly and sat down, putting his small bag between his bent legs.

With that, the unnamed captain turned and entered the small, but far more lavish officer's quarters.

Will knew the man was making a statement, over what, Will did not know.

He soon felt the hum of the engines, and the shuttle gave a lurch as it lifted off from Jakku's sands.

Captain Phasma had occupied herself with her duties, attempting to get her mind off of her new orders from General Hux. She was soon distracted when she was called away to oversee an interrogation. She walked down to the prison bay on _The Finalizer,_ when she entered she could already hear the screams.

 _It appears that they started without me_. She thought with dark satisfaction. As she walked to the cell, and opened the door, the screaming continued, and had increased in volume; almost to the point of wails.

Inside, two black clad interrogators used various instruments of pain and suffering on a prisoner whose feet and hands were chained to the wall behind him. The man was bloodied and bruised, blood and sweat pooling on the floor beneath him.

Phasma walked in, her heavy steps caused both interrogators to turn around. She did not recognize the one on her left, he was tall, with youthful features, and blonde hair. However, she did recognize the one on her right.

"Major Vlosh." She said in a steady tone. The prisoner's moaning drowned out by her electronic voice.

"Captain Phasma, Hux ordered you to oversee the interrogation of this Resistance scum. Stand at order and watch how professionals do it." The major said with a tone of superiority.

Phasma was angry; no doubt she had been called to this interrogation because of her failure on Jakku. Hux was displeased with her, so he made her a lapdog to one of his subordinates. He ground her teeth together under the helmet, she hated Vlosh. The man spent every waking minute throwing his superior rank in her face, ordering her around like a servant, and she could not do a damn thing about it.

So she stood there, watching in both anger and pleasure, as the prisoner was tortured for hours on end. However, like most loyal soldiers, he refused to give up any information.

With the interrogation over, and the prisoner's broken body returned to his cage, one could not call it anything but, the two interrogators marched out. Vlosh even dared to shove Phasma on his way out.

Phasma stood there steaming in anger and rage. She turned her head and looked at the bloodied chains and walls. The sight made her anger turn to sadistic pleasure, she enjoyed killing and torturing. She had been so efficient at it that Hux promoted her to the rank she was now. The anger at Vlosh at almost all but disappeared, being replaced with burning need.

She needed to fufill her duties as a captain, as a soldier of the First Order. As she walked back to her quarters, she was deep in self reflection. She was unflinchingly loyal to the First Order, she would lay down her life for the organization, and nothing would change that. As a loyal soldier, it was her responsibility to carry out every order to the exact lettering. And so, she firmed up her resolve.

Even though this major had surprised, and even enthralled her, he would not distract her from her mission; her mission that would end in his young life being cut short. He was a Resistance officer, an enemy, a threat to her and her men, and a threat to the First Order. Despite all the respect she had for him, her orders were clear. And as a soldier she followed her orders.

William Anders would die, and she would be the one to kill him.

Anders passed the time writing. He wrote about the incident for which he was now headed to speak to the High Command Council.

" **12.5.33ABY**

 **I am now headed on a magnificent journey! Oh how I have waited for this day; the day when the bosses decide to talk to me. Apparently, killing a man who is about to kill you means trouble in the Resistance. Heck, they are making a big fuss over me killing one of my lieutenant's who aimed his blaster at me, it was me or him, I chose the latter. Still am in a little confusion at the whole Phasma and stormtrooper incident that concurrently occurred. It is very odd that they did not once aim their blasters and shoot me down, other than our little rough introduction. Instead, they seemed to accept my presence, and some, dare I say it, respect me. It takes a whole lot of guts to do what we did, for I know that every Resistance soldier they had encountered, or every First Order soldier I have encountered did not have think twice about pulling their blasters and firing. I know it makes me sound like I have a huge stuck up ego, but hell, we all need to give ourselves some credit sometimes.**

 **Until next time (hopefully),**

 **"**

In addition to writing, he also thought, thinking of his time during the civil war, his youth, his military career, and the stunt he had pulled a couple days ago. He did so much thinking that time seemed to fly by, it did not register that he had been sitting in the uncomfortable chair for over twenty nine hours straight. He felt the ship thump, and moved to sit up.

His hand caught the wall and he almost fainted. Having your legs bent continuously for thirty hours did wonders for your consciousness, and your ability to walk. The ramp soon lowered, and the three troops who were his unwanted companions walked past, the officer with a small smile on his face.

Will followed behind them, his knees and joints aching after sitting for so long. He walked down the ramp and took in the view around him. The base was on the forested, almost tropical planet of D'Qar. All around, tall trees stood in silent vigilance, and in the distance, mountains loomed ominously high. The air here was moist, virtually water compared to Jakku's arid climate. He and his trio of watchers entered a large building set into the side of a mountain. After wandering through various paths and hallways, they arrived at a large set of doors.

Will knew what lay beyond.

Guarding the doors was a number of Resistance troopers, all armed. It was apparent that some very high level officials were in the room that stood beyond the doors.

One of them walked over and banged on the door with the butt of his blaster rifle. The sound echoed through the halls, increasing into a loud roar, as if thunder had struck nearby, before dissipating.

The doors slowly opened, and the four were shepherded inside. Once inside the doors closed behind them.

Will took his time to survey the room and its occupants. It was large to say the least. A large table stood in the center, with a large window at the rear giving a panoramic view of the surrounding planet. Standing around the tables were officers, many of them generals, some he recognized, some he did not.

Among those he did recognize were Major Caluan Ematt, the chief of staff of General Leia Organa, a general who had fought against him in the Semian Civil War,and once his eyes did a double take, the general herself.

" Major William Anders, Jakku Garrison." The captain said, before falling silent.

An unknown general standing at the far end of the table nodded. "Thank you Captain Tillfillal, you may take your leave."

The captain, Tillfillal, nodded and he and his two men walked away and out of the heavy doors. Soon, Will was left standing by himself, clad in his tan uniform, in front of the Resistance's highest ranking officers.

He made eye contact with Leia, and she gave him a small smile. Not many people in the galaxy knew, only one- Captain Howe- that Will was a personal acquaintance of Organa's. His friendship with Han Solo, however recent it may be- having started a little over two years previously, when the smuggler's ship came to Semia during his time off duty- the man who was a former romantic partner to General Organa, made the woman communicate with him often; most of the times it was with updates on her wayward smuggler, other times it was for simple conversation. Either way, the two had developed a good working relationship, and even, dare he say it, a friendship.

Now here he was, standing in front of the graying general for the killing of one of his own officers.

"Major William Anders, you hail from the planet of Semia, is that correct?" An officer with the rank of general asked him.

"Yes sir, that is correct." Anders replied in a respectful tone.

"You fought in the Semian Civil War, reaching the rank of colonel; is that correct?" The same man asked again.

"Yes sir, that is correct." Will again replied, sounding more like a droid than a man.

"You stand here today to answer questions in regards to the killing of Lieutenant Farlon Jaxes; a killing that you committed." Major Caluan Ematt spoke, his voice colored with disgust.

"It is true, I did kill the lieutenant; well, former lieutenant." Will could not resist the quip. In tense situations, he reverted to joking and name calling. The sentence got a few scowls from the assembled officers.

"Why did you kill your own officer?" An unknown general asked him, the woman was frail and her hair way graying, it looked like she belonged more on a farm rather than in an army.

"Well general, he threatened my life. He pointed a blaster straight at my back as I walked away from our confrontation. I had no choice but to defend myself." Will said honestly, speaking slowly so none of his words would be confused.

"I think you lie." A general said from the head of the table. He recognized the man as having been a general in the Semian Unity Forces, and one that he had fought in battle.

He was going to reply, but a stern voice stopped him. "General Donhue, while you may generalize Major Anders for his actions against you in the Semian Civil War, I know him personally. He is one of the most trustworthy people I have ever known, more so than some in this room." Leia Organa made her presence known, eyeing the room of high level officers before her. Her gaze settled on Will, and she smiled slightly.

General Donhue quieted down, although his suspicious and hateful gazed remained on Will.

Organa was next to ask a question. "Major Anders, can you explain why you are a major in the Resistance, while you rose to the rank of colonel in the Semian Equality Army?"

Will smiled at the question, which had nothing to do with the matter being discussed; he knew it was Organa trying to satisfy her curiosity. He smiled at stared directly at general Donhue as he spoke. "Pure politics, General Organa; some members of this high command would rather base their decisions on past experiences, rather than the individuals themselves."

Donhue was turning red in the face, but he did not speak.

Organa nodded but remained silent, her curiosity satisfied.

"What were the circumstances surrounding the death of Lieutenant Jaxes?" An official, who Will recognized as a colonel said.

" Jaxes ordered the men to fire on the enemy, although I had given no such order. That is what led to the confrontation."

"When you say enemy, you mean the platoon of stormtroopers who were there to investigate the defection of one of their own?" The colonel continued his questioning.

"Aye, sir. That is correct. The stormtroopers, led by a Captain Phasma, entered our base." Will told the colonel, mental images of the chrome armored trooper appearing in his mind.

"Did you take any precautions against the enemy?" A short a slim general- who sat closest to him- said.

"I ordered my men up into the surrounding dunes. I wanted to have the advantage of terrain." Will told the general.

"Good man." He said, Will smiling in response. It appeared that it was not just General Organa who liked him at this meeting.

"What happened after that?" General Donhue asked, no doubt attempting to pin blame on him.

"Well, we had a confrontation. It was bloodless, Captain Phasma, and I agreed to hold off the blasting. I would give her the information she wanted, and in exchange she would leave the village alone." Will remembered the tense confrontation as if it were yesterday. In fact, it almost was.

"What information was this captain out to find?" General Organa asked, her voice again filled with curiosity.

"She wanted to know what happened to her rouge comrade. He had escaped a couple days previously, and had ended up on Jakku, it was there he escaped on board the Millennium Falcon." Will saw Organa's eyes light up in recognition.

" Did you give her the information?" Organa asked, and Will thought he heard the woman's intense need to know.

"No, after what subsequently happened, I believe her questions were lost in her mind." He told the general, knowing that she could read his thoughts.

"What happened after that?" The small general who liked him asked once again.

Will breathed deeply, recalling the exact details. "Well Jaxes ordered the men to fire, although I had issued no such command. A single shot was fired, and it struck a stormtrooper in the abdomen."

" What did you do in response to this…. shooting." Major Ematt said, his voice cool and collected.

"I ordered, no pleaded, for no fighting to occur. I yelled at Jaxes, I then asked permission from Captain Phasma to give aid to the wounded soldier, which she granted." Will remember the way Trix moaned in pain, and the way his armored body shook.

" So you not only did not attempt to defend yourself from the enemy, you asked permission from an enemy officer to give aid to a wounded enemy soldier? You forsake the rank you carry and the army you represent!" General Donhue all but lost it, his boiling anger overflowing. "You should not even be here! Go back to your little farm!"

"SILENCE!" A voice roared, shocking everything, including General Donhue, who went silent. It took Will a moment until he realized the unnatural sound had come from Leia. "General Donhue," she began, he voice filled with anger, "I will not have you talk to an honorable officer like that."

"Honorable? You call this scum honorable!?" Donhue said incredulously, his finger pointed at Anders.

"Silence!" Leia boomed, and once more the general fell silent. "This man perhaps has more honor that you will ever have. Helping a wounded enemy soldier requires much more courage that sitting at a comfortable desk here at base." Leia said, her insult hitting its home.

"Major Anders, what did you do for the injured stormtrooper?" Leia asked, her voice frighteningly calm.

"Well I asked my medic, Sergeant Jabal Tali, to assist me with the caring for the injured trooper. We took him to my quarters, along with the rest of the stormtrooper platoon, and gave him aid throughout the night. Without us, he would have died."

"Commendable," the short general sitting near him said, "we need more like you in this galaxy; on both sides of this war."

He gave a smile and nodded.

"What happened with Jaxes?" Organa asked.

"Well, as I treated the injured trooper, Jaxes came down and decided to unleash his pent up rage against me." Will sighed as he remembered the anger in the lieutenant's voice.

"You fought against Jaxes during the Semian Civil War?" Major Ematt questioned.

"Yes, I believe it was a combination of that anger, coupled with the anger of me disciplining him in front of his troops which made him irate." Will told the major.

"What happened next?" Organa asked.

"Well I walked out from the hut, and by this point Jaxes began personally insulting me. He pulled a blaster from his belt and held it at his side. I did not want such a confrontation so I turned my back on him and began to walk back to my quarters. It was then he aimed his blaster at my back, and I did what I had to defend myself." Will remembered the feeling, the warning that blared through his mind. He had his jedi father to thank for such senses.

"How did you know he was aiming at you?" Donhue asked, still angry with him.

"I sensed it." He said, looking at Leia, he saw the complete understanding in those hazel eyes.

"I fully believe that Major Anders was defending himself. I feel the truth in the Force. He is not guilty of committing any crime. Major William Anders, I hereby find you not guilty. This meeting is adjourned." With that the meeting was over, and the generals began to shuffle out.

Donhue and Ematt gave him glares as they passed by him. He did not move from his spot, until it was only Leia and him left in the room, alone. He relaxed his stance, and pinched his forehead with his hand.

"Will, can you tell me something?" Leia asked as she walked over to him.

"Anything, General Organa." Will replied.

Organa laughed, "Please, Leia. You know me well enough. So tell me, how is Han?"

Will cleared his throat. "Han is…. is good."

Organa laughed. " Thanks for the vague answer."

Will sighed. "Apologies. Han is well, you know, still the stuck up nerfherder who left you. He smuggles still, it is what keeps him afloat."

"Of course it does, which is why we separated." Leia said in slight annoyance. "Did he say anything about me?"

"He just asked if you were okay, and to tell you not to worry." Will smiled, knowing the reaction that would cause.

Leia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Not to worry? I worry about him constantly, ever since the trash compactor, and carbonite."

"We all do, trust me." Will said, earning a small chuckle from Leia.

" How is your force intuition coming along?" She asked him with complete sincerity.

"It is getting there. I am to the point of where I can sense things, which is how I knew about Jaxes' intentions. It is odd though." Will said his face turning into a frown.

Leia noticed his reaction. "What is odd?"

Will thought for a few moments. "Well, I thought I felt a presence from Captain Phasma, as if she were probing my mind."

"She very well could be force sensitive." Leia explained with a nod of her head. She then looked down at her comm, right before it beeped. "I am afraid I must get back to business."

Will nodded but a small hand on his shoulder caught him before he turned around.

Leia smiled at him. And the next words out of her mouth stunned him into both silence and stillness.

"Until next time, _**Colonel**_ Anders."

 **YAY! We finally see a major player. Hopefully Han will make an appearance soon, and possibly Kylo Ren. Until next time!**

 **-LittleP**


	10. Humiliation

Chapter 9: Humiliation

William Anders was a very happy man. As he left D'Qar aboard a shuttle bound for Jakku, he could not help but smile during the entire journey. He had been absolved of any guilt in the killing of his former lieutenant, and his previous rank had been restored.

 _Colonel._

The word still felt foreign to him, even though it was how he was addressed for over a year. He thought about pinching himself, but did not, this was reality! He no longer was in command of just a battalion; he was in command of an entire regiment. And it got even better. Leia Organa had seen to it that his men on Jakku were to be pulled from garrison duty immediately, and sent to the front lines. On the way back to Jakku, he had received news that pleased him even more. The regiment he was to command would be one of the three raised on Semia after the civil war had ended; many of the men he would fight alongside had fought with or against him a year ago.

The long trip passed quickly, and Will soon found himself stepping on the sands of Jakku, having landed on the outskirts of his base. He walked quickly towards his hut, in the direction of the barracks, he saw Sergeant Huxly walking towards him.

"William, how was the council?" Huxly asked in trepidation, expecting the worst.

"Great!" Will replied enthusiastically.

"Great?" Huxly appeared surprised, "how so?"

"Well Huxly, this regiment is no longer garrisoned here on Jakku, we are being sent to the front lines; courtesy of General Organa."

Will saw Huxly's face light up in joy. "Finally! We get to see some real action!" Huxly yelled, causing more men and women to look at them. Huxly's face instantly turned from joy to confusion tinged with fear. "But sir, who will we be under?"

"Me." Will said, his smile widening as he thought he saw the gears turning in Huxly's head.

"You? But Will, you are only a major, to command a regiment, you would need to be….." Huxly trailed off, his eyes lighting up in surprise.

Will was practically giddy. "Another thing, Organa promoted me. I am now Colonel William Anders, commander of the First Semian Regiment."

It was Huxly's turn to smile. "Excellent job sir. When will we be leaving?"

"Now. Pack your bags men; we are headed off of this world!" Will said in a raised voice before he left Huxly and all but ran to his hut, eager to pack his stuff and finally be off this dust ball.

The men of the Jakku Garrison piled onto a large transport; Captain Howe, Lieutenant Rogers, Sergeant Tali, and Colonel Anders were the last to board.

Once on board, Howe, Rogers, and Tali went to their respectrive locations; Howe to his battalion, Rogers with her platoon, and Tali to the medical bay. Colonel Anders took his spot at the small and cramped bridge of the ship. "Pilot, take us up up and away." He said, a wide smile on his face, and pleasure in his voice.

He felt the hum and vibration of the transport taking off, his eyes fixed on the windows before him, seeing the dry blue sky of Jakku slowly turn into the blackness of space.

He stood at the bridge for the entire journey, not even accepting the water that Captain Howe offered him. He knew it was not good to do so, but it just felt so right to be back on the front lines. They were headed to a planet that Will had never even heard of, a planet smack in the middle of territory contested by both the First Order and the Resistance. The Resistance maintained a large base on this planet, a base which was frequently attacked by both the ground and air forces of the First Order. Will was informed that the commander, General Krick Maxime, had ordered his troops not to launch full scale attacks, opting instead to launch small raids against the First Order. Will knew he had his hands full.

He barely noticed the thump of the ship landing; he focused his eyes on the windows in front of him and noticed that they had landed on a planet he had not seen before. Before him stretched lush forests, hills, and meadows; not so unlike his farm back on Semia.

He turned to the pilot in curiosity. "Pilot, where are we?"

The pilot checked his computer before turning towards Will. "We have landed on a planet called Shiri," he turned back to glance at his computer once more, "it is located in the mid rim."

Will nodded and then vacated the bridge. As he walked towards the bay that would lead to the loading ramp, he was surprised to find no one wandering the halls. He found it a little odd that he did not see anyone during his trek, seeing as his four hundred troops had crammed themselves on this transport.

He arrived in the loading bay, and was shocked by what he saw. All of his troops were lined up in neat rows on opposite sides of the lowered ramp, facing each other. At the head of each company stood their commanders, Lieutenant Rogers was among them. Standing in the center of the bay was Rex Howe, his subordinate. All were standing at attention, backs stiff, legs straight, and shoulders back. He began walking slowly towards Howe, as he passed by his men, he saw Sergeants Huxly and Tali, and Private Dryse; the teenager giving him a nod as he passed by.

He stopped in front of Howe, staring his friend directly in the face. The two began to smile, their mouths curving upwards.

"Colonel Anders, I like the title." Howe said, causing Will to huff in amusement.

"I am glad you like it Captain Howe. Now, let's get the troops off this small ship and into battle." He gave Howe a nod; Howe turned away and did an about face.

"Troops will form double section ranks! March!" He shouted in proper military manner.

The troops immediately faced towards the ramp, and began marching down the ramp, stepping foot onto this unknown planet for the first time. As they passed both Howe and Will, smiles adorned some of their faces, while fear clouded others.

After all the troops had disembarked, Howe marched down the ramp, followed by Will. Behind him the shuttle ramp began to close. On the surface, the soldiers were now organized into columns awaiting Anders' command. Will looked around, and found the Resistance outpost on this planet; it was nothing more than a collection of hastily constructed durasteel buildings and canvas tents.

Will realized that the situation was worse than he had anticipated.

"Right face!" He ordered his troops, the soldiers obeying with pause. "March!" The two columns began to march in the direction of the shoddy looking Resistance base, their boots stomping on dirt and crunching fallen leaves as they moved. Behind the column were Howe and Will, following behind their men.

"What do you think we are gonna do here?" Rex asked him as he turned his head to face Will.

"I do not know what to tell you, honestly. From what I have been told, it sounds as though the commander here on base is cautious to attack the First Order." He told Howe as they entered the camp. Ahead of them their men kept marching.

" Sounds just like Richards back at home." Rex said, staring into space as he walked, recalling to woman's face.

"Yes, exactly like Richards, and we knew how that turned out." Will said, both he and Rex laughed.

The Richards they spoke of was Gwendol Richards. She was a major general in the Semian Forces for Unity during the civil war. Anders and Howe, who fought against her, as well as her own soldiers, hated the woman for her constant cautious approach. She was so cautious that during a series of battles known as the Ten Days, she allowed her force to be beaten, surrounded, and captured by a force two times smaller than her own. Both Will and Rex had taken part in that campaign.

Now as they ordered their men and women to halt, both could not help but fear what consequences would arise because of the cautiousness and hesitation of General Maxime.

Will and Howe halted behind their men, all stood before a large durasteel building that Will guessed was headquarters for the base. Will looked around and found that a great number of Resistance soldiers had come out to look at the new arrivals, some giving glares, others staring in confusion.

 _No doubt our uniforms._ Will thought to himself. The Semian Brigade was unique in the Resistance, its members were allowed to wear the uniforms of the New Semian Army rather than the standard Resistance issued uniform. The Semian uniform was simple, it consisted of clothing that was a dark green on one side, and tan on the other; this allowed the soldier to adapt to the environment without the hassle of having two sets of clothing.

Will was still glancing at the faces his allies when a rough voice snapped him out of his thoughts. It came from inside the durasteel building, and got closer with each passing moment.

"Why was I not informed of this!?" The voice bellowed just as the door slid open to reveal a burly man followed by a very nervous aide.

The aide followed behind the man as he rounded around the column and towards Will. "General, I was only informed after the shuttle had landed. The Command Council sees fit to send some additional troops to ensure the First Order does not overrun us." The man squeaked from behind the enraged commander, both stopping a few steps from Howe and Anders.

For a moment the four simply stared at each other, two in curiosity and amusement, and two in anger and fear.

" Who are you?" The commander –General Maxime- snapped.

" Colonel William Anders of the First Semian Regiment." Will said as he extended his hand for a greeting. The gesture went unanswered and Will retracted his hand.

"I am General Krick Maxime, commander of this base. You will answer to me, and if you do not, you will be put under arrest." The general said before he stomped off back towards his headquarters.

Howe and some of his troops stared at Will after their new commander had left.

Howe leaned close to Will, who was still staring at the headquarters building. "Well, that was fun."

Will snorted and turned to face Rex. "Indeed, man, this will be fun."

"What will you do with a threat like that William?" Lieutenant Rogers said from the column, the smile clear in her voice.

"Well Rogers, I intend to disobey the man whenever I can." Will said with a smile, the comment earned more than a few laughs from his men.

"Of course you do, you would not be Colonel William Anders if you did not." Howe said with a small laugh.

Soon after, Will and his men were given their accommodations, and they attempted to adapt to this new lifestyle. They soon discovered that being on the frontlines was wholly different that garrison duty.

Captain Phasma was pressed for time, and she knew it. As she sat at the holoterminal in her quarters, once again doing research on her next target, she could not help the creeping weariness and pangs of uncertainty that travelled through her.

William Anders had saved one of her men's lives, and now she was to kill him. Should she do it? It felt a very dishonorable thing to do, and Phasma took honor very seriously. Could she do it? She had killed generals before, and she knew she could handle William Anders. Would she do it? The bottom line was, yes, she would; because she had been ordered to by General Hux. Besides honor, loyalty and respect made Captain Phasma who she was, and she would not change her ways for a single person.

She and her men were on their way to a planet known as Shiri. The planet was hotly disputed between the First Order and the Resistance; although she had heard that the Resistance commander on planet, a man by the name of Maxime, was very incompetent.

She smiled under her mask. She liked incompetent enemies, it made the mission that much easier. She and her troops would sweep the Resistance from this place, and begin to crush them once and for all.

She shook her helmeted head and delved into her research once more. She was currently staring at a small biographical page of Anders from the First Order Intelligence Branch, or FOIB.

It read:

 _William Anders_

 _Age: 21_

 _Height: 2 meters_

 _Weight: Unknown_

 _Physical Description: Green eyes, mainly brown hair but contains traces of red and blonde._

 _Birthplace: Strattsburg, Marzien Province, Semian Republic._

 _Information: Lived as farmer with grandparents. Parents unknown, one potentially deceased. Joined Semian Equality Army as private in Tenth Marzien Home Guard on 18.8.29ABY; fought throughout Semian Civil War. Promoted to colonel of the Tenth Marizen Home Guard on 22.10.30ABY, the war ended on 30.9.31ABY. Regarded as one of the best tacticians and strategists of the war, surprise assaults and flanking maneuvers earned him the nickname of the "Gray Ghost." Earned the Semian Star of the Republic for bravery displayed in battle; for his actions in rescuing an injured soldier under heavy enemy fire, he was also awarded the Medal of Valour, the highest award in all of Semia. Believed to have returned to family farm after end of war, asked to join Resistance soon after. He is now commissioned as a major based on Jakku._

 _Strattsburg?_ Phasma thought as she jogged her memory. She remembered that name, that town, it was the place she had lived, growing up when she was just a girl. It was a different time, a _different life._

Phasma read over the information over and over again, and she corrected one of her earlier thoughts. William Anders might prove to be a very unique target for her; and she reveled in the opportunity to find out.

There was a buzz on her comm. She sighed in annoyance but plucked the device from her belt and activated it.

"Yes, what is it?" She said, irritation dripping from her voice.

"Sir, we will be arriving at Shiri in the next couple of hours. Major Vlosh has asked me that you meet him on the bridge for a briefing." A voice said from the other side.

She once again sighed; she had momentarily forgotten that she would not be doing things her way. No, she was leashed, once again, to Major Vlosh. "I will be there." She said, and clicked the comm off without waiting for a reply.

She shut off the holoterminal and stood, her once crumpled cape flowing down behind her. Clipping her rifle to her thigh armor, she stepped out of her quarters to walk towards the bridge.

As expected, she found Major Vlosh at the main holotable on the bridge. He and Lieutenant Hagg stood around discussing; apparently the briefing had begun without her.

She strode over to the two officers, both of whom she hated.

"Ahh Phasma, you finally show up." Vlosh said, as usual, a hint on annoyance colored his tone.

Phasma heard the man's displeasure, and smiled. "Apologies." She said, not bothering to address the man with respect.

Vlosh glared at her before getting back to business. "We will strike the incompetent and poorly led Resistance base at night. Our objective is to clear out the base and take control over the planet."

"What about aerial superiority?" Phasma asked Vlosh.

Vlosh scoffed at her question. "As many times before, Captain Phasma, I have thought ahead. Our TIE fighters will launch their attack on Resistance fighters the same time the ground assault begins."

"But sir, it one attack were to fail the other would have no…" Phasma tried to speak but was cut off.

"Silence captain, I grow tired of your questions." Vlosh held his hand up. "You will do what I tell you."

Phasma was silently seething. She hated these two, they would be the death of her and her men. She thought they had no idea how to run a military operation.

"When we land Phasma, you will take a battalion and accompany a platoon led by Lieutenant Hagg. Follow his orders." Vlosh said, pointing at Phasma, emphasizing his point.

"Sir, as a superior officer…." Phasma began, her anger clear in her voice.

"Silence!" Vlosh yelled, "I do not care about rank, you will obey Hagg or you will be punished if you do not." Vlosh said before storming away.

Phasma was left standing by Hagg, and nearly ripped the other's head off when he smirked at her.

A few hours later, she and Hagg, accompanied by their troops headed down to the surface of Shiri. Their ships had remained out of the range of Resistance scopes until the very last minute. Now as they rapidly headed towards the planet below, Phasma felt a pit of unease in her mind.

She had a bad feeling about this mission, and it had nothing to with what she had eaten earlier in the day. It was as if her force sensitivity was warning her of something.

Arriving in a forest clearing, she and her men hastily disembarked. They quickly organized and began their advance on the unsuspecting Resistance base. As they walked, Phasma spotted Lieutenant Hagg slowing down and moving behind his troops, fear in his eyes. Phasma smiled, the brat was inexperienced in combat, and Phasma hoped he would die this night.

As she and her troops moved closer towards the enemy, Phasma's unease grew, and she knew something was off.

Will was deliberately disobeying orders. He had been informed by General Maxime that First Order troops were in orbit above the planet, he also knew that enemy soldiers would attack the base soon, tonight perhaps. Yet, the general did nothing, and ordered Will and his troops to stay put; needless to say, Will disobeyed the order.

To make it appear as though he had complied with his superior, Will ordered Rex to keep half of his regiment back at base while Will and the other half of his regiment slipped out into the surrounding forests and meadows.

Will and his troops stalked silently through the fields and thickets, making as little noise as possible. Will was in the lead, his troops fanned out around him, he had given Lieutenant Rogers command of the platoon to his right, and Sergeant Huxly to his left. The three stood out in front of their troops, scanning the area, listening and watching for signs of the enemy.

That is when Will felt it. A feeling blossomed in his mind, a very strong, foreboding feeling. Will halted the troops with a gesture- closing his fist above his head. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps, hundreds by the count of it, and to his front. He knew it was the enemy.

If any doubt remained, it was erased when the white armor of stormtroopers shone in the dim moonlight, and they were closing in fast.

" Huxly take a positon on my left. Rogers, you are on my right! I will stay here. At my command, I want you two to hit their flanks, and try to get in behind them. I will stop them from moving forward! Go!" He whispered, his two subordinates obeying at once. Soon Will, and a platoon of his troops were all that stood in between the Resistance base and the enemy. Will and his men crouched down behind fallen trees and stump in order to conceal their signatures as best as they could.

The stormtroopers got closer and closer, yet Will gave no order to attack. He was surprised to see a lieutenant commanding the large body of troops.

 _Too large for a lieutenant._ He thought as he caught sight of another figure, this one unmistakable.

Armor gleaming in the moonlight, dark cape flowing behind as she marched, was Captain Phasma.

They were nearly on top of him when he gave the command.

A sneeze halted the entire battalion, then the whole forest erupted in light and sound. Blaster fire spewed from their front, impacting the unsuspecting soldiers. Phasma was shocked momentarily before she gathered her wits. "Fire!" She screamed, her men finally beginning to fire back.

It was then that she realized that fire was not only coming from the front, but also from her flanks. She and her men had walked into a trap, they were quickly being surrounded.

Will fired away at the stormtroopers in front of him, smiling all the while. It was not that he enjoyed battle, he was laughing at the signal he had given. A sneeze; he had not meant to do so, but it had happened, and both Huxly and Rogers took it as a sign to attack.

So now here he stood, he and his men firing into the groups of stormtroopers at their front. He saw and heard Rogers shouting at her men to fire into the flanks. While his men hid behind cover and fired, Will decided to stand up, after all, if he was an officer, he was meant to have some semblance of courage.

He dropped a trooper with a shot to the chest, and another with a blast to the shoulder. The stormtroopers were dropping in numbers as he and his troops bore down on them.

He looked around at both his men and the enemy, and decided the moment was right.

"Stand up!" He ordered his men, his troops hesitantly obeying, no doubt they feared being blasted. He pulled out his large knife from its sheath and held it above his head. " First Semian! Charge!" He shouted above the roar of the firefight, and he and his men ran towards the enemy, screaming like savages.

Lieutenant Rogers and her men, positioned on a small rise overlooking the stormtroopers, heard Will's order, and they promptly obeyed. She and her men ran screaming towards the weary enemy, smashing into their flank and turning the firefight into a melee.

Sergeant Huxly did the same, and soon the stormtroopers were involved in hand to hand fighting at both their front and their flanks.

Phasma knew the situation was hopeless. She was shocked when she saw the silhouette she had seen on Jakku, knowing who it was. How did Anders get out here without intelligence picking that up? The failure had cost her men their lives.

She fired her blaster, dropping a green glad enemy soldier, another, and then another. She then saw Anders' troops engaging her troops in hand to hand fighting. One tried to get at her, the man trying to stab at her with a knife, a blow she quickly dodged. She brought the butt of her rifle down on the man's ribs; she heard the crack of them breaking under the blow. With the man doubled over in pain, she grabbed his head and twisted, hearing the satisfying crack before she let go. The man slumped down to the forest floor unmoving. She looked into the melee surrounding her and knew she had to save herself and her men.

"Retreat! All troopers withdrawl back to base!" She shouted, as she slammed another enemy soldier into the ground, and then bashed his face into a stump.

Her remaining men took heed and began to retreat, some running, others fighting as they withdrew. She saw that not all of her men could escape, a fact she accepted with anger. She jogged away from the fight, slowing down until she was sure she was guarding the rear of her retreating troops.

She knew Vlosh would be livid, but she could not find the room to care. Her dead, and wounded mattered far more.

The sounds of battle had ceased. It had lasted no more than fifteen minutes. Now Will and his troops stood in a wide circle, surrounding a lieutenant and twenty troopers. His men had their rifles raised at the First Order soldiers, and in response the enemy soldiers lowered their weapons. All but one; the lieutenant had his blaster raised and pointed at Will, the blaster shook in the young officer's hands.

Will grimaced at the sight. "Lieutenant, put the blaster down."

The man said nothing, yet continued to point the weapon.

Will grew frustrated. "Are you a fool? You will cause the death of your men if you continue this antic. It is obvious that your men have more sanity than you do." Will looked at the troopers, who stared at their jumpy officer.

Will sighed and walked forward until he was a foot away from the blaster barrel. He held out his gloved hand. "You are surrounded. It is useless to resist."

The young man closed his eyes and slowly lowered his blaster into Will's outstretched palm.

Will accepted it and strapped it to his belt. He walked over to Lieutenant Rogers. "Take these men back to base, confiscate their weapons. But, do not cuff them. Use deadly force if necessary."

Rogers nodded and began to herd the prisoners away. He walked back towards the scene of the firefight and began counting the casualties.

After many hours of looking, Will had returned to base. During his mission, Rogers had informed him that General Maxime had ordered that he take over control of the prisoners. Will ordered Rogers not to let that happen.

His men had suffered ten dead and eighteen wounded, including Sergeant Huxly. The First Order had sustained forty dead and thirty eight wounded.

He walked back into base to the sound of shouting.

"Damn him! Who the hell does he think he is!" The voice of Maxime roared in the night.

Will smiled as he came upon the scene. Maxime and his aid stood before Rogers and her men. Captain Howe and his half of the regiment had come out and reinforced Rogers and her platoon. All of Will's troops now surrounded the prisoners. "Do you mean me?"

Maxime turned towards him red faced. "You disobedient little pest! You were instructed to follow my orders which you did not! I will have you arrested and court marshaled!" He motioned for two troopers to arrest Will, but they were stopped in their tracks by Rogers, and a handful of Will's men aiming their weapons directly at them.

Will put his hands up to try and calm the situation down; he turned towards Maxime. "With all due respect general, if I obeyed your orders, the Resistance's control over this planet would be nonexistent."

Maxime seethed in anger. "I do not give a damn what you think! I am your superior and you are to follow my orders!" He bellowed in rage. He turned to his aide, "Captain, take the prisoners to the cells and interrogate them! At once!"

"But sir, our troops…" The captain began.

"Silence! You use force to get past them," Maxime pointed to Will and his troops. "Just get me those prisoners!"

Will turned and looked at his troops and his prisoners. Even though they wore their helmets, Will could see the fear in their body language. He would fight before he would subject them to torture. He turned back to Rogers. "Rogers, shoot any man that attempts to get the prisoners."

Rogers nodded.

He then turned back to General Maxime and stared him in the eyes. "General, you can take your orders and shove them up your ass."

 **Getting pretty intense. Planet of Siri, General Maxime, and Hagg are products of my creation.**

 **-LittleP**


	11. Battle Plans

Chapter 10: Battle Plans

There was nothing but silence for many moments. General Maxime stared in shock, having never heard such an insult come out from one of his subordinate's mouth. Will stared right back at him, a smirk on forming on his face. Rex and Tali simply stood behind them, their months gaping like fishes, shocked yet not surprised at Anders' comment.

Then Maxime reacted. He gave a huge bellow and ran towards Will, his stubby feet carrying him as fast a possible towards his target. When the general got within striking distance, he wound up his arm, and prepared to land a blow on the colonel's now smiling face.

At the last moment Will sidestepped, and put his foot out in front of Maxime, the man tripped over the outstretched limb and tumbled to the ground in a heap. He attempted to get up, but a foot on his chest stopped him.

Will crouched down over the fallen general. "General Maxime, while you rank and authority may have gone to your head, I will not allow, nor will I permit you to torture these prisoners." He leaned closer to the general's head, the man muttering in rage, but Will cared not. "I will also do whatever it takes to protect this base and these men, even if it means disobeying your every order."

Will then pulled himself up and lifted his foot off of the general's chest. The man shot up like a geyser of water. His was red faced and breathing deeply. "I will have you court marshaled for this travesty." He seethed in anger.

"I am looking forward to it." Will responded before he turned his back and went over to Captain Howe. "Rex, keep the prisoners under guard, but move them near our barracks. I want our men on them, no one else."

"Yes sir." Howe said as he ordered Lieutenant Rogers and his troops to march away with the prisoners. Will followed behind at a dutiful pace; smirking at the looks of shock he received as he passed by Resistance soldiers.

He needed to begin working on a battle plan, and soon; for he knew the First Order would strike back.

* * *

On the other side of the valley, the First Order base was in disarray. After hearing of the defeat of his battalion at the hands of the Resistance, he had taken over control; micromanaging everything, from the guards to the food.

He was angry, angry that his troops had walked into a trap, angry that Lieutenant Hagg had not scouted ahead, and angry at Captain Phasma for not fighting with all her might.

But most of all, he was enraged at the thought of the Resistance defeating his troops. He had assured General Hux that the planet would be taken, but now his plans were in jeopardy. He had to find a solution, and find one fast.

* * *

Phasma stalked around the camp like a hulking, brooding beast. No one got in her way, knowing what the consequences would be. Her men had never seen Phasma act like so, but Phasma could care less. Her face concealed behind her mask, her armor gleaming in the morning light, her cape flowing behind her, see was the very image of a reckoning; and she had promised herself that she would make those rebels pay for what they had done.

She would make William Anders pay for all of it.

In her thirteen years of combat with the First Order, she had never lost an engagement, and the loss she experienced the night before sent alien feelings coursing through her body. She felt weak, and defenseless, as if someone had stripped her of her blaster and armor; and she hated the feeling. There was only one thing that could right this disgrace, victory; victory of the pesky Resistance.

Her comm beeping on her belt stopped her brooding. She opened the channel.

"Captain Phasma, report to my facility at once." Vlosh said.

Phasma was too angered to reply, merely switching off the comm unit before she silently stalked towards Vlosh's quarters.

Once there she did not speak a word, even as Vlosh spouted off his plans for another attack.

"I am having reinforcements sent down here at as I speak. Once I deem this force sufficient, I am going to order a two pronged attack. Phasma, you will command one prong, your objective is to strike along their left flank and get into their rear areas." Vlosh stopped, but Phasma said nothing. "I am giving you assault walkers to complement your infantry. I will lead the other prong, attacking on the right flank and at their center. With our numbers and superior troops, we will crush the Resistance on this planet within hours, I am sure of it."

Vlosh again paused, looking for any reaction from the chrome wearing captain. Seeing none he scoffed, "dismissed," he said with a wave of his hand; his subordinate stalking out of his quarters.

Phasma knew the plan was flawed. It was virtually the same plan that Anders had used the night previously.

But then again, if any of what she read was true, Anders was one of the most skilled commanders had encountered. His skill and prowess in battle, his analytical and tactical mind, was magnitudes above Vlosh's. For the first time in her life, she prepared herself to do something she had once thought only death as a punishment, she would disobey.

She reassured herself that it was the betterment of the mission, the betterment of the First Order, and she would gladly accept any punishment because of her actions.

She walked back to her quarters, and mentally prepared herself for the coming night.

* * *

Will was surprised when a Resistance soldier he had never seen before approached him with two patches in his hands.

"Colonel Anders," the man said and held out his hand, "your new rank insignia."

Will took the patches from the man's hand and looked at them, turning them over in his hands. There were four dots on the patches, indicating a colonel.

"Thank you trooper." Will said, the man gave a nod before he turned away.

Will scrutinized the insiginia, and thought one thing.

 _I liked the three stars better._

He then went to visit the wounded Sergeant Huxly.

After visiting the recovering Sergeant Huxly, Will went to view the captured troops from the night before.

Will was staring at the prisoners held outside of the barracks. He had been eyeing them all day. He had received reports that a Major Vlosh was leading the First Order troops stationed on the other side of the valley, he knew Captain Phasma was among them. He also knew that another attack would occur soon, perhaps that night, and ordered his troops to prepare.

He removed his gaze from the prisoners and walked over to Howe, tapping the captain on the shoulder- a signal to follow- he and Howe made their way over to Rogers, who he also tapped.

The three made their way towards the headquarters of General Maxime. Will had no intention of talking to the man, Maxime and his self cautiousness would self destruct, and Will would very much love to be there and watch such an event unfold. He walked up to the door of the durasteel building, which promptly opened, the three of them walking inside.

The interior was cramped but crammed with scurrying soldiers. It was loud, as many voices talked, some yelling, over various issues. Will spotted Maxime's subordinate, the captain who was always by the fat man's side. Will made eye contact with the man and beckoned him over. The man reluctantly went over to the three Semians.

"Yes, Colonel Anders?" The captain asked, his voice filled with hesitation and uncertainty.

"We wish to confer with you on our plan of battle." Howe said, speaking for both Rogers and Will.

" Su..sure thing Captain Howe." The man said, and soon all three had crowded around a holotable.

Will activated a holomap of the region. "We are here," he pointed to the area where the Resistance base was located, "and the enemy is here." The First Order base was directly across the narrow valley. " The location of last night's firefight is approximately here," he pointed to an area bounded on both sides by two narrow streams. " We expect the enemy to move soon, perhaps tonight, and attack this base. The intention of the First Order is to drive us off planet, no matter what the cost. We need to face them, and we need to hold them off."

"What are you suggesting?" The captain asked Will from across the holotable.

" We retreat." Will said, both Rogers and Howe smirked at the looked of surprise and shock that crossed the man's face.

"Retreat? We cannot give up this base!" The man all but shouted, however, the noise was barely perceptible in the loud background noise.

Howe held his hand up in a placating manner. "Retreat as in fighting retreat."

"What is a fighting retreat?" The captain asked in confusion.

Will sighed, disappointed the man had never heard of such a maneuver. " When the attack comes, I want two lines of troops. The front line will be only two deep, the second line will be reinforced and stretch over a wide area. Position the second line in a bowl like configuration, the center stands fast, while the two flanks extend at an outward angle. I want the two flanks to have good terrain, located on hills or in gullies where they had adequate cover and good firing positions. When the enemy attacks, the front line stands fast for only a short while, before they are ordered to retreat. As they do, they give the enemy the perception of victory, and draw the enemy further into the bowl. Once the enemy is far enough in, the second line attacks. At the center, they, along with the front line advance towards the enemy, and push them back in the process. The two flanks of the second line slam into the flanks and rear of the enemy, wholly enveloping them."

"That is.. that is brilliant." The man said.

Will nodded, feeling a little cocky. "I guess it is. Brief your men captain; I want all officers knowledgeable about the plan, that is the only way for it to succeed."

The man nodded and went about doing as ordered. Will and his two officers took their leave and left the building.

They headed back to the prisoners, who were still surrounded by Will's men.

Will penetrated the circle to look over the troopers. "If you are in need of any food, water, or medical care, do holler."

He received no response so he began to walk away.

"Why?" A static filled voice said.

Will turned around and noticed that many troopers, and Lieutenant Hagg, were staring at a stormtrooper who wore a white pauldron.

Will walked over to the man, who was kneeling on the ground, his once white armor dirtied from the battle. He slowly walked through the sitting, standing, and kneeling men in white armor, until he arrived at the said prisoner.

"Why what, trooper?" He said, staring down at the man's masked face.

For his credit, the man's helmet stared right back.

"Why would the Resistance offer the enemy anything that might give them the advantage? Why not follow procedure and have us tortured and executed?" The voice, though static filled and electronic, was filled with venom.

Will stared at the man, his eyes cast downward to the armored knees of the trooper. "What is your name trooper?"

The man looked surprised, but replied. "TK-9182, Whip."

Will nodded. "Well, Whip, I will never torture you because I know what such methods do to men like us. They serve only to hurt and maim without any real gain of intel." Will visibly shook as he spoke, the images of the camp he had visited during the civil war filling his brain. The frail bodies, men and women being held together by nothing but skin, the mounds of dirt they called home, and the cesspools they drank from. The image of prisoners shackled to the walls as their skin was flayed off, men being castrated without any anesthesia whatsoever. Will closed his eyes tight, not caring if the trooper in front of him saw, he just wanted the images to go away.

He opened his eyes and noticed that the trooper was staring at him, his helmet tilted slightly. "Based on the reaction, I can assume that you have seen such horror." Whip told him.

Will nodded, "more than anyone ever should; which is why I will never subject my prisoners to such barbaric treatment. You may fight against me, and we may kill each other, but I have a moral and personal obligation to care for you as best as I can."

Whip nodded. "I see." Then fell silent.

Will took that as his queue to leave. He began to walk through the mass of bodies. Just as he reached his men, he heard a "thank you," from behind him.

He turned and nodded in welcome at Whip, knowing it was the trooper who had spoken. He then left the guarded circle. Night was fast approaching, and Will knew he would be in for a violent struggle.

* * *

-  
Captain Phasma was ready, she and her men, along with their walkers, were prepared. They stood in columns and rows, awaiting the command of Major Vlosh. She had grown slightly more confident of having success when she found out the reinforcements sent down to the planet included her two trusted Sergeants, Nines and Krax, along with a platoon of heavy troopers, Trix among them.

Now they stood, awaiting the inevitable. Phasma stood at the head of her troops, staring out into the forest. The enemy was in that forest, William Anders was in that forest. She had resolved herself to kill him tonight, if she ever saw him. It was an honorable way for him to die, in battle, the very environment he had proved himself time and again. Phasma took a deep breath and waited.

Nines stepped up beside her. "Captain Phasma." He gave her a salute.

"Nines." She said, "spit it out." She knew her sergeant was not here to keep her company.

She thought she heard her sergeant sigh before he began. "Sir, we know that Anders is on the other side of that valley, that we are to face him. Sir, some of the men have expressed unease at the prospect of killing him."

Phasma turned to face the pauldron wearing trooper. "This is war, bad and good men and women die all the time; even ones who are righteous. Anders is an enemy combatant and should not be given any mercy, not matter what he did for us in the past. Is that understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Nines saluted and walked off.

Phasma had tried to make her voice sound angry, and she had tried to convince herself of her words. But she found she could not.

Then her comm beeped and she knew it was the signal.

"Battalion move out!" She ordered, and soon, she and her men moved off into the forest, ready to face the unknown.


	12. A Killing Field

Chapter 11: A Killing Field

Phasma and her troops slowly marched through the thickening trees. Unlike the previous night, the clouds hung low over the valley, and fog had begun to form. She instructed her men to switch on their flashlights at the end of their blasters, the numerous rays of light piercing through the fog. Phasma had her men out front, with the walkers behind and on their flanks; if she had learned anything about Anders; it was that the man loved to attack flanks.

She along with the rest of her troops were cautious as they moved, once again, they knew the enemy was somewhere nearby, but the fog was proving an obstacle, their infrared HUD's could not penetrate it. Phasma was in the lead, walking a few paces in front of her men, every so often she swiveled her head left and right, looking for any sign of the enemy.

She readied herself for the oncoming battle; one she knew would be much larger than the small skirmish last night. Her plan was simple, kill as many enemy soldiers as she could without sustaining any injuries herself, a goal she knew she would meet. She had set herself an additional goal; see to the death of William Anders.

* * *

The said colonel was standing on the right flank with his soldiers, staring at the fog to his front and his left. He had tried to find good terrain, but with the base located in a valley, hills were hard to come by. He had positioned Captain Howe on the extended left flank, and Rogers once again held fast in the center. In the front line- which was to perform the fighting retreat- Will had ordered Maxime's captain and his men to position themselves there.

Will was once again using only half of his regiment, the other half he put on prisoner duty. If the plan failed, Will wanted to be sure that he would not have his rear endangered by marauding prisoners.

He had ordered his troops to be silent and not make any sound. His order paid off, as Will heard the sounds of snapping twigs to his front. He smiled; it appeared that his enemy was also trying to be stealthy.

As the sounds of the enemy got closer, Will readied himself; he removed his blaster pistol from his waist holster, and prayed to his dead father that he would come out of this engagement unscathed. His worry only increased by the dense fog that blanketed the land, obscuring everything from view.

* * *

It seemed like she had been walking forever. The agitation and anxiousness built up inside her body. Her HUD showed nothing, and she had not heard anything.

As she came upon a fallen tree, Phasma stepped over it, her height made it possible for her to just stick her helmet above the dense layer of fog. That is when she saw it; a faint but very distinctive heat signature.

"Fire to your front! They are at our front!" She bellowed as she pulled her trigger, the bolt lighting up the surrounding fog.

The battle had begun.

* * *

Will was not surprised when he heard the electronic voice he knew. It appeared that Phasma was spearheading this assault, just as Will expected. It seemed that no battle was complete without the appearance of Captain Phasma. From his position, he began to see to bolts from the stormtroopers traversing the fog and flying towards his front line. He cringed when he heard the thumps of impact and the moans and groans on injured men. He grew anxious when he did not see his men return fire. It was a good ten to fifteen seconds before he heard the captain order his men to fire. Blue and red blaster bolts cut through the fog, lighting up the valley in a spectacular but deadly light show.

"Steady and hold your fire." He ordered his soldiers, seeing the look of anxiousness on their faces, and the shaking of their trigger fingers. He knew his men were not used to watching the enemy fire on friendly soldiers and do absolutely nothing.

It was only a few moments more when the second part of his plan was put in motion.

"Retreat!" He heard the captain yell over the sounds of battle, soon after, the sounds of his men retreating greeted his ears.

He smiled, "not long now boys and girls, not long at all."

* * *

Phasma smiled, the enemy was retreating! She looked around at her men, very few were down. She had the manpower, and the willpower, tonight; she would destroy the Resistance on Shiri. "Advance! After them!" She ordered, her troopers complying. The walkers surged forward as her men ran at full speed through the forest, stepping over dead and injured enemy soldiers. She along with her men gave them no heed, when they were victorious, they would come back and clean up.

She blasted a Resistance soldier in the back as he ran in front of her, and then another. As she passed an injured fighter crawling on the ground, she smashed his head with the butt of her rifle. In front of her, she saw the line of enemy soldiers slowly dwindling in number.

 _It appears that Anders is not as great as is said_. She thought as she blasted yet another soldier, the man's body crumpling in a heap with a hole burned through his back.

Then suddenly the line of soldiers they had been chasing stopped in their tracks and turned to face them. Phasma was utterly surprised, until she saw what was behind them.

A whole column of fresh troops supported with armor.

"Fire!" She heard a feminine voice yell from the column in front of her. Suddenly, blue bolts were screaming towards her and her men. She and her men diligently fought back until she saw that her walkers were being destroyed by Resistance armor. Then the troops she had chased began to advance towards her. She knew that with the reinforcements at her back that she would be able to stave off this renewed push by the enemy.

Phasma was so caught up in the action that she had forgotten about her flanks.

* * *

Will and Rex waited until the enemy was drawn deep enough into the trap. When he heard Rogers bellow the command to fire, they knew the moment was upon them.

"Fire!" Will screamed, the sounds of blaster fire roared in his ears as he and his men emptied their charges into the enemy at their front. So ferocious was their firing that the woods in front of them were set alight. He caught the stormtroopers by surprise, dropping a great many of them with hits to their sides. When he was confident he could advance with minimal casualties he ordered his men to do so. He and his two hundred and fifty troops stepped out from their cover and began to attack at the rear of enemy, slowly closing the door behind them; surrounding them with the Resistance.

The plan was going perfectly; he had seen a glimmer of Rex's troops to his right and knew that they would soon hold the field. That was until he saw that the trapped stormtroopers were surging forward, seemingly having broken through the central lines.

If he allowed the center to collapse, he along with Rex, commanding the two prongs, would be forced to call of their attacks, their positions untenable.

He turned to the nearest officer, a Sergeant by the name of Binx. "Command the men; I need to go save us from disaster!" He said, and gave the man no chance to reply. Will ran back along his line until he reached the center. It was then that he got a look at the scene.

The front line had all but dissolved, the men having retreated through the column led by Rogers. The retreating men had blocked the view of Rogers and her men, allowing them to be picked off by the enemy soldiers. The situation was quickly falling apart. Will needed to take control of the situation or risk defeat.

The column was thinning out every second, men and women falling, wounded or dead. To their front was the advancing stormtroopers, the once trapped enemy not within reach of victory. If the stormtroopers entered the base, they had enough men to overrun the facility, even though they were fighting a simultaneous rear guard action against Rex and his men.

He ran towards his men. "STAND FAST! Do not let them past you!" He screamed, some of his men turning around to face him, surprised at his appearance. He aimed his blaster at a heavytrooper, and blasted the man in the head. His shot seemed to invigorate his men, but they were still in deep trouble.

It was then he noticed a problem. "Where is Lieutenant Rogers?" He asked a nearby corporal.

The man stared at him and shook his head. "She fell as we withdrew from our original position."

Will stared at the man in shock, then out to the trees in front of them. That is when he spotted her. Rogers was lying prone on a bush, her body extremely close to the oncoming stormtroopers. He needed to go and get her, dead or not, he promised all of his troops that he would bring them home; and damn anyone saying otherwise.

His thoughts however were cut short when he caught sight of the stormtrooper that had come into view just behind Rogers' body. The chrome armor and dark cape, Captain Phasma had arrived.

Will then understood the reason for this turn of events; no one could pull off such a miracle except the chrome armored captain.

He ordered his men to keep up their fire, however, they soon found themselves being hit from both the front, and the right. Will was shocked, not only had his plan partially failed, he had allowed the enemy to get into his flanks.

Going on instinct, he grouped together a platoon of soldiers, and then charged the stormtroopers at his flank, a counterattack that Will expected to be his last.

* * *

Phasma was giddy, she had not only broken through the Resistance line, she had held off one of Anders' flank attacks. If she could destroy the column in front of her, she would have a clear path to the base.

During the overrunning of the column's position, she had apprehended a number of Resistance troops, and she would very much enjoy torturing the information out of them later on; but she had a battle to get back to.

She had just blasted down the last remaining Resistance officer of the dissolving front line; she vaguely recognized the female's face, having seen her on Jakku.

 _A member of Anders' battalion no doubt_. She thought as she stepped up to the fallen woman's body.

It was then that she spotted her target. The youth was directing the remaining soldiers in his column, his focus turned to Phasma, and his green eyes seemed to bore through the lens of her helmet. She brought her blaster up, preparing to shoot the young man down; to eliminate the target she had been ordered to by General Hux. Her finger itched over the trigger, but then Anders had disappeared into the column of his troops. Phasma took the time to order Sergeant Nines to attack the flank of the Resistance soldiers, and he did so.

She did not see Anders again until the man reappeared and looked to be thwarting Sergeant Nines in his attempt to outflank the enemy. She was further surprised when she saw Anders and a platoon of soldier charge across the trees towards Nines.

However, it was not enough. Charging over ground while being fired upon had decreased the platoon's numbers, and by the time Will reached the line of stormtroopers, he could not continue is attack.

"Withdrawl!" He told his men, blasting a heavytrooper who was about to blow him away. As he and his men ran back through the hail of bolts, Will recognized a pauldron wearing sergeant, one with a chip on his helmet paint, and he knew they had met back on Jakku.

He returned to his column and ordered them to keep firing. His men continued to drop, a bolt nearly taking his own head clean off. He was sure that this position would be lost, until he saw an answer to his hopelessness. To his left, he began to see blue bolts smashing into the flanks of the stormtroopers. Will smiled in delight and happiness, some of his men cheered. It appeared that Howe had managed to punch through the left flank of the enemy. The appearance of Resistance troops at their left flank appeared to have a cascading effect on the First Order troops. Their lines began to roll up, and some squads began to retreat.

Will looked to his front and saw the troopers there, being led by Phasma, still continued to fight. He looked below the captain's armored legs and saw Rogers, the woman still lying still on the ground. He did not know if he would get the opportunity to do so again, and he made his decision.

Phasma knew her time was limited. She was angry, no, rage filled. The victory that once seemed within her grasp not was out of reach. Major Vlosh on the right flank had allowed his lines to collapse, and now Resistance soldiers were penetrating deep into their ranks.

Phasma blamed Anders. She knew he was the cause behind this defeat, and she had vowed he would pay. She raised her blaster up, aiming it directly at the man, but what he did next froze her in shock.

The young man began to run away from his column, and towards her and her troops. She heard and saw Anders' men yelling at him to get back behind cover, the man did not heed their warning. Her eyes followed Anders as he got closer and closer. Beside her she registered the fact that the troopers surrounding her had stopped firing, they too were surprised at the man running towards them. Anders got within arm's length of her and knelt down. Yet she did nothing, too shocked to pull the trigger, let alone blink her eyes. He bent down and gathered a prone figure, the woman she had blasted down, into his arms. He hefted her up and made sure she was secure.

He looked at her then at Phasma. "Captain." He said simply with a nod of his head, then he beat a hasty retreat back to his own lines, bolts wizzing past him all the while.

Phasma was still in shock at what had just occurred. After a few moments she shook herself out from the daze and got back to work. She noticed that her line had all but dissolved, and that Resistance troops were nearly on top of her.

"Retreat!" She growled in anger, shooting and killing a final enemy soldier as he came up on her right. She and her troops beat a hasty retreat back to base.

* * *

Will ran a hand through his sweaty hair. This battle was the closest he had come to being defeated. Captain Phasma was a formidable and worthy opponent, he found himself realizing. She had very nearly destroyed them.

He checked Rogers' pulse and to his amazement found that the woman was alive. He quickly took her to the base's medical bay, which was by now overflowing with wounded, and set her down.

Captain Howe came up to him, the man was battered and bloody.

"Are you alright Rex?" Will asked in concern.

"Aye Will." Howe said, his eyes downcast.

"Casualties?" Will said, fearing the numbers he was about to hear.

"Eighty nine dead, two hundred wounded, and we believe about twenty five were taken prisoner."

Will nodded; the numbers were bad, but not the worst he had come across. Still, he did not know if he would sleep tonight.


	13. Exchange

Chapter 12: Exchange

True to his thoughts, Will barely slept a wink. He stayed up all night, his thoughts keeping him awake. He thought of then men he had lost, each one had a life as real as his; each of them had families, friends, had fun times, laughed, cried, and felt anger. Each was a life as rich as his own, and now those lives had been snuffed out. He could not help but feel guilt at the thought, he felt personally responsible for their deaths, after all, he was the commander on the field.

Seeing the first rays of the early morning sunlight streaming under his shoddy door, he pushed himself off of his bunk. Putting on his light green uniform coat, red waist sash, belt, blaster, knife, and peaked cap, he left his temporary home.

He strolled around for an hour, surveying the base. He first went to the medical bay to check up on his wounded men. Arriving at the wing, he was greeted with the moans and groans of the wounded; all around him rushed medics and doctors, each going from bed to bed, checking up on their patients. There were two people Will really wanted to see. He slowly walked between the medical bunks, looking at each soldier he passed, assessing their wounds. Some had blaster burns, some had broken bones, and others were missing limbs.

He spotted Rogers lying on a bunk between two other injured soldiers. Will walked over to her prone form; arriving at her side he noticed that she was asleep. Her eyes were closed tightly, as if she felt pain even in the world of dreams. His eyes swept over the rest of her body, she had bandages around her waist and on her upper thigh. Will's assessment was interrupted by two feet appearing in his vision. Standing up he faced a man who wore a military uniform, upon closer inspection he wore the insignia of a medic.

"What is her condition?" Will asked the soldier standing before him.

The man looked at Rogers then down at a datapad he held in his hands. He was silent for a few moments as his eyes raked over the information on this particular patient. He then looked up a Will, "She has a blaster wound to her abdomen and a broken thigh bone."

Will winced, both of those wounds sounded extremely painful. "How is she?" His eyes once again were glued on the form of his lieutenant.

"She is stable, but she will need much time to recuperate fully from her injuries." The medic said, and then added, "Even with bacta treatments."

Will nodded; he did not know if he could spare such a good leader. "What is the timeframe we are looking at?"

The man gazed at his datapad once more then back up to Will. "A month, perhaps two months, before she is fully healed."

Will swallowed the lump in his throat, two months was a long time, but he would wait patiently for his subordinate to recover; he knew the situation could have been much worse.

He nodded to the medic, "Thank you."

The medic nodded and then moved on to the next patient, and Will was left standing there by himself.

He stood over Rogers for a few moments more before he realized that there was another he wanted to visit. He turned away from the bunk that held his lieutenant and scanned the room once more. After a full minute of searching, he found who he was looking for. He walked over towards the bunk, and looked down on the man on it.

Sergeant Huxly, the man was currently in the process of waking up, his eyes fluttering before they opened. His blue eyes instantly found Will standing by his bunk.

"Sir," Huxly croaked, weak from his wounds.

"Good morning Huxly, how are you doing?" Will gave the man a small smile.

" Oh swell," Huxly said, sarcasm dripping through his voice.

"Excellent, the regiment needs capable people like you." Will told the injured man.

Huxly nodded, and then his smile suddenly turned into a frown. "How many did we lose yesterday? I heard the blasts and explosions from in here, hell; we had soldiers guarding the doors."

Will nodded and dropped his head down to look at his feet. "Eighty nine killed, two hundred wounded, and twenty five taken prisoner."

"Sith hell." Huxly muttered, the casualty count reminded him of the civil war. "I guess the only good to come from such loss is that we beat their asses." Huxly's voice was lighter than it had been seconds before.

Will smiled, "temporarily sergeant, they will be back."

Huxly huffed. "And then you and I will beat their asses again."

Will laughed and nodded in amusement. "So tell me Huxly, how are you feeling?"

Huxly looked over his body before returning his gaze to Will. "Well Anders, I have been blasted in my shoulder and chest, but nothing too bad."

Will snorted, "Not too bad? You were shot for kriffing sake." He said in amused fashion.

Huxly snorted once more and shook his head. "It is alright sir. I will be back before you know it."

Will nodded, "Good, I need men like you Huxly."

"Appreciated sir." Huxly said, giving Will a shaky salute.

Will took that as his cue to let the man rest. He stood at attention and gave Huxly a salute before walking away from the man's bunk and out of the medical bay.

* * *

Captain Phasma had not slept since the previous night. She had not even taken her helmet or her armor off since the battle had ended many hours ago. Now as the morning rays began to shine through the clouds, and the fog in the valley began to dissipate, she remained where she had been the entire night. She sat in her chair, her legs and shoulder ached from remaining in the same position for so long. Her thoughts for the past nine hours remained fixed, on a single man, on a single event during last night's battle. Phasma could not bring herself to grips why she had not blasted Will Anders, she had been given multiple opportunities to end the man, yet she did not. It seemed that her body did not obey her mind, she mentally screamed at herself to pull the trigger, yet her gloved fingers did nothing. She did not understand any of this! This man, this boy, Anders, infuriated her but also made her wonder. He had managed to rout her troops twice within the last two days; yet she did not recall the last time she had seen an officer of his rank, on the front lines; standing in the thick of the fighting, and fighting alongside his men.

What even shocked her more was that Anders was willing to risk his life to rescue one of his soldiers. She remembered the scene in great detail. He ran through the fog, blaster bolts whizzing past his head, he stopped right in front of her, her armored body too shocked to react; he had even spoken to her, then he knelt down, picked up the wounded woman, and ran back to his lines. Phasma had racked her brain, trying to figure out why he would do something so stupid.

 _Yet so honorable._ She thought, never in her life had she seen or heard of an officer risking his life, running towards the enemy, and rescuing a soldier. It just was not done these days. Both the Resistance and the First Order valued their troops, yet any sane officer would not go out of their way to rescue a single wounded trooper.

Except that William Anders was not any ordinary officer. He was perhaps one of the best in the galaxy, and Phasma, however much she hated to accept it, knew that Anders was one of the most formidable opponents to the First Order. Yet, she also knew she could never kill him. And that is what made her furious, her inability to blast the man. She had killed many officers of such a rank- and higher- before, so why could she not blast down this one?

The reason was far deeper than she was willing to acknowledge. Outwardly, she felt that her failure to complete Hux's orders lay with the shock Anders caused her. But inwardly, there was another nagging feeling in her mind, one that just would not go away. It was as if her subconscious was telling her not to kill him because there laid a far deeper reason; killing William Anders just felt wrong.

And so Phasma sat fully enclosed in her armor, once again racking her brain as she had done so many times before.

* * *

Will had gone straight from the medical bay to check up on the prisoners.

He found them just as he left them, surrounded by his men. While the battle had raged on just outside the base, these men, his men, men who he had ordered to guard the prisoners at all costs, did just that. They followed his order to the letter, and he was proud of them.

He walked over to the lead officer, Corporal Guinness, smiling all the while, and gave the man a salute, a gesture which the corporal returned.

"Corporal Guinness, how goes guarding the prisoners?" Will asked as he looked behind the soldier at the white armor of the capture stormtroopers.

"Nothing new sir, we fed them, and watched them throughout the night. Although, I will say quite a few of us were itching to fight yesterday." Corporal Guinness's eyes lowered as he thought of his now dead comrades.

Will clasped the man on the shoulder. "Guinness, I know you and the troops may have wanted to help, but you have to realize something." The corporal looked up at Will's face, "You did help, but guarding the prisoners. We would not have routed the enemy if we had had a prisoner rebellion threatening our rear."

The man's eyes brightened in satisfaction. "Very true, sir, very true."

Will nodded then moved past the corporal, stepping into the mass of sitting and standing prisoners.

He scanned the mass of men, seeing the black vest of heavytroopers, the white pauldrons of squad leaders, and a single black uniform. Curious, he walked over to the man; he had not noticed the black uniform before. As he walked towards the black garbed man, he walked through many masses of white armor, their helmets – or hair covered heads- turned to look at him as he moved by. He finally stood before the black wearing man, a lieutenant by the rank on his uniform.

The man did not even stare up at him. Will cleared his throat, trying to get the man's attention, but got nothing. He knelt down, eye level with the man, trying one last time to get the officer's attention.

"Lieutenant?" He said quietly, more than a few stormtroopers staring at him. The man looked up but said nothing, a look of disgust plastered across his face.

"Lieutenant?" Will tried once more, putting more force into his voice.

The man still glared, but finally spoke. "What do you want, scum?"

Will was not expecting such an answer, but decided to play along. If the black clothed officer was going to be a pain, Will would be a thorn in the man's side. He stood up and stared down at the glaring officer. Even with his back turned, he felt two troopers had come to stand behind him, a heavytrooper, and the white pauldron wearing trooper named Whip.

"Oh, nothing," Will said casually, "after all, you cannot learn much from a bantha loving nerfherding officer."

The man's eyes visibly darkened. "You dare say such words to an officer of the First Order?"

Will smiled in response. "Yep, if you did not notice, you are in my custody, and if I remembered correctly, I am the superior officer."

The man was about to shout his rage once more but was stopped, by Will coughing in his face.

"Sorry." Will said smiling at the act he had just performed. He turned around from the anger filled lieutenant and faced the two troopers.

Both wore their helmets, Will gazed between their lenses. "Yes troopers, what is it?"

The two troopers looked at Will, before Whip turned his head back towards Will. "Sir, we wish to ask you a question regarding yesterday's battle."

Will was a little taken aback by this. "State your questions."

The heavytrooper spoke first. "Well, sir, many of us wished to know what happened last night."

Will stared at the man's helmet, then at his empty black vest on his chest. "Well trooper, it was an attack by your forces on the base, we repelled the attack, but not without substantial casualties on both sides."

"How many casualties, sir?" Whip asked, his voice clear with fear.

"For my men it was a total of three hundred and fourteen killed, wounded, or captured. I have no accurate counts for your comrades, but I am sure it is of similar numbers." Will said solemnly.

The two troopers nodded, their movements stiff and uneasy. Will knew how they felt. "I am sorry for your losses, we should be thankful that war is so terrible, otherwise we would grow too fond of it."

His statement caused a noticeable reaction among both the heavytrooper and Whip, but also many of the surrounding soldiers, even his own men.

"Appreciate the sentiment, sir." Whip said in honesty.

Will nodded, "you are welcome squad leader Whip."

The trooper nodded and then walked away, and Will was left standing in front of the heavytrooper.

"Thank you, sir." The trooper said with gratitude in his voice.

Will nodded and smiled. "No problem, may I ask before I leave, what is your designation?"

The trooper stood still for a moment before replying. "TK-7643, Bolt."

Will nodded, "Like the name, it suits a heavytrooper such as yourself."

The man nodded, and Will could feel the man's smile through his helmet. "It does, sir, it does."

Will gave the man one final nod then left him alone, leaving the prisoners to be guarded by his men. He had a meeting with Captain Howe.

He walked to the man's quarters and knocked on the door. Without a word the door slid open, and Will slowly walked inside. The quarters were dark; no light shone in the small space, but Will knew he was not alone.

"Rex." He said, knowing that his captain was in the room.

"What are you here for, Will?" The man responded from underneath the covers of his bunk.

"Apologies for waking you, but I need to tell you something." Will said as he walked over to the blanket covered man.

Rex through back the covers and slowly sat up in his bunk. "I could not sleep anyway."

Will looked over his friend, seeing the bruises and dried blood. "I could not sleep as well."

Rex nodded but said nothing.

"I want to congratulate you on the extraordinary save you pulled off yesterday, without you storming their flanks, the mission would have been a failure." Will told Rex, thinking back to the moment he saw Rex's troops coming to their aid.

Rex Howe nodded but still said nothing.

Will smirked, knowing that the next piece of news would light up the man's face. "Captain Howe," he said, the man's eyes turning towards his own, "because of your prowess in battle, and the fact that you saved us yesterday from certain defeat, you are receiving a promotion. Congratulations, Major Howe."

Rex's eyes bugged out and the man stopped breathing for a few seconds. All that was heard was silence, then the sound of laughter.

"Really!? After being with you for five years, you finally promote me!" Rex said as he jumped up on his bunk and embraced Will in a brotherly hug.

Will gladly returned the gesture, needing it after two days of violence. He stepped back and smiled. "Hey! How were you supposed to get promoted, when you were being Mr. Reckless?"

Rex feigned offense at the words. "Excuse me? Did you just call me reckless? Oh sith hell, did I just hear you call me, Rex Howe, reckless?"

Will smiled, "Indeed I did."

Rex laughed in response. "So, is that what you came here to tell me?"

Will nodded. "Partially, there is something else I wish to discuss with you."

"What is it Will?" Rex asked as he sat down on his bunk once more.

"I wish to initiate a prisoner exchange." Will said quickly.

Rex's eyebrows rose, "Between us and them?"

Will nodded, "Yes, we have their men, and they have ours."

Rex nodded, a look of confusion on his face. "But exchanging prisoners would not end the fighting. The prisoners exchanged would just go back to attacking our base with their friends."

Will nodded, again acknowledging the truth, but he had a trick up his sleeve. "That is true, which is why I have a plan to go along with this exchange."

"You always have a plan." Rex rolled his eyes.

Will laughed and smiled. "I do. What I propose is an attack the very night of the exchange. The influx of the prisoners would, I think, disorganize the enemy long enough for us to carry out a large scale raid on their base and drive them off world."

"But, Will, this is the First Order we are talking about, not the Forces for Unity. These guys are meticulous when it comes to order and discipline, if they are disorganized, it will only be for a few moments." Rex was suspicious of the plan.

"Then we strike at them during those crucial moments." Will said, his voice filled with conviction.

"How? The exchange will most likely take place far enough away from the base that mobilizing the forces would be for naught." Rex assessed the situation as he saw it.

Will shook his head in denial. "Not if we bring our forces with us. While the exchange is occurring, I will order a battalion, if not more, to move towards the enemy base."

"How do you plan to do that? They have technology to see us moving through the forests." Rex sounded doubtful of his superior's plans.

Will smiled. "Simple, we use the terrain to our advantage. Running along the border of the base is a small stream; it is surrounded by steep slopes containing thick brush atop the crest. We could use the stream to funnel the troops close to the base, and wait for the right moment. The location is close enough that it will be a complete surprise to the enemy, but also the terrain and location make it unlikely that our forces will be spotted.

Rex scoffed, and then smiled at Will. "How do you know that? Oh wait, you have been scouting for the past week."

Will nodded. "You know me too well, it is disturbing." Both he and Rex laughed out loud. "Yes, I have had a group of twenty men camped in the very spot where I want the surprise party to begin. They have been there a week and a half and have not seen a single stormtrooper, or have encountered any resistance. "

Rex nodded, and then was silent as he thought about the plan. "Okay, I will go along with this plan of yours."

Will nodded and smiled. "Excellent, now, should we go exchange some prisoners, Major Howe?"

Rex smiled at his new title. "Indeed, Colonel Anders."

Rex quickly got dressed, and soon the two stepped out of the room, standing side by side.

* * *

Rex and Will walked together, side by side, approaching the circle of prisoners. They stopped before a line of their own men, and Will turned to Rex. "Remind me to get you new collar insignias."

Rex smiled, "Will do mom."

Will laughed quietly. Together, they walked through the thin line of Resistance guards and soon stood amongst the prisoners. Their green uniforms contrasting greatly with the white armor of the First Order soldiers.

Most of the prisoners stared at the new arrivals.

"We bring news of great importance." Rex said suddenly, surprising Will slightly.

Seeing none of the prisoners react to Rex, Will thought he would give it a go. "What the major meant to say was that we will be moving you out of the base."

That got a reaction, helmets and heads swiveled back and forth, and a small murmur arose. A white pauldroned stormtrooper walked over to the pair.

"Halt!" Rex yelled at the approaching trooper, the noise causing some of the guards to aim their rifles at prisoners, causing some prisoners to recoil in fear.

Will put his hands up to calm to situation down; he turned to his troops and ordered them to lower their rifles. He then turned to the stormtrooper standing a few feet away from them. "Apologies for that, you may come closer, Whip."

The stormtrooper nodded and walked closer, stopping on an arm's length away from Will. Will looked the trooper up and down, the man's white armor was dirtied, specks and smudges of dirt adorning the white armor, the man's helmet was on, as it had been every time Will had seen the man. "Sir, if you do not mind me asking, what do you mean?" Whip said respectfully.

Will smiled, getting ready to reveal the big news. "We are initiating a prisoner exchange with your forces, our men for you guys. You will be going back to your base, and hopefully by tonight, you will be sleeping in your own bunk."

Will said the statement loud enough to be heard by all the prisoners.

"Did you say an exchange?" Whip asked, as if in slight shock.

Will smiled and nodded. "That is correct Whip; you will be going back to your troops."

"Exchange?" A dark voice laughed from behind Whip, all three turning in the direction of the sound. Their eyes settled on the black clad lieutenant. "You believe that you can exchange us soldiers for the scum you call your troops?" The man laughed out loud.

Will turned to Rex, who was visibly angry. Will turned back to the black clad officer and smiled; he promised he would be a thorn in the man's side.

"Well lieutenant," he said in a snarky tone, "I would not consider you to be a soldier. You are more like the dirt I scraped off my boot this morning, or the insect I flicked away while eating breakfast, or perhaps, the sexual barrier which failed and gave spawn to the little annoying thing I see before me."

Complete silence greeted his answer, and Will knew he had succeeded. He did not need to stare into the man's red face, or rage filled eyes to know he had made the lieutenant furious.

"That is unexpected if you do not mind me saying, sir." Whip said in response to Will's statement before the lieutenant interrupted; breaking the silence, his helmet betraying the surprise in his voice.

Rex cocked his head, "How so?" He spoke for the first time since ordering the trooper who now stood in front of him to halt.

Whip turned his helmet to face the major. "Well, Resistance commanders are not known for doing such with their prisoners. They usually torture and maim the prisoners they get. The same goes for the First Order." Whip's voice was wistful, as if he was remembering something from his past.

"Well Whip you will find that I am a very different commander. You sound like you know such brutal treatment first hand." Will asked, wondering what experiences the trooper had.

Whip nodded. "You are correct sir; I was tortured by the Resistance. Let's just say that the experience left permanent reminders." Whip said quietly, or as quietly as one wore a helmet with a voice amplifier could.

 _Is that why he wears his helmet all the time?_ Will wondered, if so, that would explain why he never had seen the man without his bucket on.

Will nodded to the trooper, "I am sorry you had to go through such trauma. Goodness knows no one should." He said in a sympathetic and completely heartfelt manner.

Whip nodded. "Sir." He said before walking away, the conversation apparently over.

Will turned to Rex, who watched the retreating trooper. "Rex." Will got Rex's attention, "Initiate contact with the First Order, tell them that we wish to exchange prisoners."

Rex nodded but his face was filled with confusion. "Just one problem, I have no comms to contact, we are after all, enemies."

Will nodded, "I thought you would say such." He reached into his coat's inner pocket and withdrew a small scrap of paper. "Here is one such code that will get you an audience."

Rex looked at the paper and slowly extended his hand towards the piece of paper. Taking it, his eyes roamed over the number written down. "Whose comm code is this, and how did you get it?"

Will just smiled. "Those answers, Major Howe, are classified… until you contact the number."

Rex scoffed and walked away, muttering something beneath his breath.

Will just smiled and continued to gaze at the prisoners. The day truce on Jakku had allowed him to pick up a very important individual's comm number.

* * *

Phasma still sat in the damned chair, still racking her mind, even all these hours later. A beep on her comm startled her out of her thoughts. She reached to her belt and pulled the device out, holding it just before her helmet.

She did not recognize the number, but knew that only a few people had her comm number, most of them her superiors.

She activated her comm and waited for the voice on the other side.

* * *

Major Vlosh was in his quarters, still seething over his earlier defeat when a heavy knock came at his door.

"What?" He said in annoyance.

The door slid open to reveal Captain Phasma, the chrome armored, cape wearing stormtrooper, the sight of who caused his annoyance to increase tenfold.

"Yes Phasma what is it? Nothing you say here can possibly be worse than your conduct on the battlefield." He really hated this female.

Phasma was quiet for a few moments before speaking. "Sir, I have just been contacted by a Resistance officer."

Vlosh was surprised, but he did not betray any emotion. "Yes, what did those scum want?"

"A prisoner exchange." Phasma said.

And for the first time in many years, Major Vlosh did not hide the look of shock and confusion on his face.

Captain Phasma nearly laughed at the sight.

 **Apologies for any spelling mistakes, I was super tired writing this, it took me two nights to complete.**

 **-LittleP**


	14. Surprise

Chapter 13: Surprise!

It was evening when Will, Howe, and a battalion of their troops moved out; escorting the prisoners to the pre determined meeting location.

Will and Howe had both been skeptical that the First Order would even respond to their request, they were even more surprised when the reply came; in the form of a Major Vlosh. Will smiled as Howe spoke to the man; he knew that Phasma was standing just outside viewing range.

The two officers agreed to a neutral location that was mid way between either base. Will smiled; his plan was already working perfectly.

The large assemblage of men and women walked through the woods, behind them the lights of the Resistance base grew fainter as they got further away. The snap of fallen branches, the crunch of fallen foliage, and the splashing of water was nearly constant, the hundreds of feet belonging to both Resistance and First Order creating an incessant sound of nature.

Will and Rex walked in the front of the group, behind them stood a small line of their men, and then came the prisoners. Before they stepped off, Will went through the prisoners a final time, scanning each and every one of them. He immediately noticed that the black clad lieutenant would not take his seething eyes off him. It made Will suspicious, suspicious that the man would try something on this journey, and for that reason, he heightened his alertness.

As they walked through the forest, Will came upon a small stream blocking their path. Determined to ensure that everything went smoothly, Will ordered a halt and then looked towards Howe. "You lead them, I am going to stay and make sure they all get across."

Rex nodded, "Understood."

Will moved to the side and heard Rex yell, "March!" He stood and watched as his troops and the prisoners went by, a number of them- including the black clad lieutenant- eying him as they passed him by. Will stayed in the same position until the last members of the group had traversed the stream; he then fell in behind them.

As he walked behind the troupe, he noticed that Whip, the stormtrooper squad leader, was walking directly in front of him. While the white pauldron was a common enough sight amongst the prisoners, Will knew it was Whip, he could tell in the unique way the man walked; with an almost natural swagger to his step. Will smiled, although the man was an enemy combatant, he had shown nothing but respect to Will, and Will would reciprocate.

Will continue to walk behind the men, watching their steps; he started when he saw Whip trip over a moss covered root in front of him. He virtually shoved one of his troops out of the way, and grabbed the stormtrooper on his bicep armor. He held Whip there, the man's helmet swinging to face him.

A few stormtroopers and Resistance soldiers halted, but the remaining body of soldiers continued to march ahead.

"Thank you, sir." Whip said, slight humor in his electronic voice.

"Not a problem, Whip. I just did not want to see you dirty your armor." Will smiled when he heard both Whip and one of his troops snort in amusement.

"Much appreciated, sir, both the assistance and the humor." Whip said as Will let go, and shortly after the group continued on, catching up to the rest of the lot.

Howe led the group, leading them for what seemed like the entire day, but was perhaps an hour. The evening sky was quickly darkening, and the forest had given way to a large clearing by the time Rex halted the troops and prisoners. Activating his holo, he checked and then double checked the coordinates given, this was the right spot.

He heard the crunching of grass behind him, and turned to face the noise. Will was walking up towards him from the back of the group.

"So, is this the place?" Will asked Rex as he came to stand before him.

Rex nodded, "Yep, the only problem, the First Order is missing."

Will looked out to the large meadow, it was then he spotted a glint in the setting sunlight. "No, they are here."

Rex looked to where Will's eyes were staring, and saw the glint of metal soon materialize into the form of Captain Phasma; the chrome clad stormtrooper lead in front of her white clad troops that walked behind her. Will squinted his eyes and saw light green moving behind the white armor of the stormtroopers, his captured men.

As the large group of enemy stormtroopers grew closer, Will noticed a black clad officer, much like the always angry lieutenant, coming to the front of the line. Will, Rex, and his men stood fast, the First Order troops coming ever closer.

The black clad officer now led the contingent of First Order troops, walking proudly in front of Captain Phasma, the latter, Will knew, was less than pleased.

The enemy troops came to a halt less than two meters away from Will, Rex, and their troops. For a moment there was silence, no one spoke, and no one moved.

Then the black clad officer, whose uniform was close enough that Will could see his rank as major, moved forward and extended his hand towards the colonel.

Then Will moved towards the officer, the man smiled in anticipation of the handshake, but did not get one. Instead Will maneuvered around his frame until he stood before Captain Phasma. The chrome helmet stared down at him, and Will gave her a smile. He snapped his heels together and gave Phasma a salute, much like the one he had given her after their first encounter on Jakku. Captain Phasma was still for a moment, and then slowly raised her right hand to her helmet, returning the gesture.

"Captain Phasma." Will say quietly, still smiling. He glanced behind Phasma's dark cape to the stormtroopers who stood behind her, two he recognized, the orange pauldron wearing Sergeant Krax, and the heavytrooper he saved, Trix. Behind them Will noticed his men squirmed as if they were uncomfortable.

"Major Anders, I see you have gotten a promotion." Phasma said, her accented electronic voice slow and firm.

Will nodded, "Indeed, Captain Phasma. I guess the generals saw some value in me," Will then smirked, "or possibly just wanted me out of their hair."

Behind him, Rex snorted in amusement. Phasma's head glanced up to him. She nodded in acknowledgement, and Rex did the same.

Will gave turned his head away from Phasma to Krax and Trix, and nodded at them, he then turned around, strolled past the still First Order major, and rejoined Howe at his side.

The black clad major's smile had been replaced by a look of irritation and annoyance. Will inwardly smiled, the officer looked, and acted like a politician; a huge sense of self importance but terrible at decision making.

 _Just like Hux_. Will thought, in fact, both the captured lieutenant, and this major shared the foolish general's traits. No wonder Captain Phasma seemed to hate the man.

Will looked at the major, the two made eye contact, but remained silent; finally Will decided to speak. "And you are?"

The man looked surprised, the look quickly clouded over with a thinly veiled anger, the man, no doubt realizing the diminishing tone to Will's voice. But the man kept his anger in check and took a deep breath. "I am Major Quillian Vlosh," he pointed behind his shoulder, "and that is my subordinate, Captain Phasma." Major Vlosh smiled as he spoke his own name. Behind him, Will saw Phasma's glinting helmet glaring bolts into Vlosh's back; Vlosh's words serving to subjugate the proud and battle hardened captain.

Will's face remained expressionless, but he was disgusted on the inside. The man standing before him had such a high level of self worth.

 _A huge ego_ , Will thought, _it will be fun to crush it later tonight._

Will gave the man an intentionally mocking smile, but Major Vlosh seemed not to notice. "Colonel William Anders." In a further display meant to mock Vlosh, Will pointed to Howe who stood at his side. "And this is my partner in battle, Major Rex Howe."

Rex gave a smile at the words of Anders, Will made it sound as though he and Rex were equals rather than subordinate and superior.

The major gave the pair a tight, tension filled smile. "Shall we discuss terms for release?"

"Terms?" Will questioned, "I was not aware that a prisoner exchange had terms attached to it. I hand over your men, you hand over mine."

Vlosh gave a smile of superiority. "Yes terms, in order to properly release prisoners, release protocols and stipulations for release must be followed and adhered to. I not," Vlosh's smile grew, "then I am afraid that no release of prisoners will take place."

Will heard a snort behind him; he looked back into the mass of white armor and found the black clad lieutenant smiling. Will scoffed in response; he turned back to Vlosh, now he was annoyed.

"You may have your protocols and stipulations, Major Vlosh, however, I do not." Will said, his voice rising as his annoyance and irritation grew.

Major Vlosh's smile faded, the man seeing his adversary was not about to give in. "Colonel Anders, while you may not have the knowledge of such procedures, I do. And these procedures dictate how an exchange should be conducted."

Will took a deep breath, Vlosh was pushing him, so Vlosh should be prepared for the consequences. He did not publicly humiliate people often, but when he did, he was brutal. " Major Vlosh, you say I do not have the knowledge of such exchange procedures," Vlosh smiled, "however, it is you that has not one brain cell whatsoever." Vlosh's smiled quickly faded.

Beside Will, a smile began to grow on Rex's face. _Major Vlosh you are in for it_. He thought, and prepared for the coming show.

"Hell," Will said, "I doubt you have even shot a blaster. Tell me Major Vlosh, did you gain your post either by buying your way into the system, or sucking on a superior's phallus?"

For a moment, nothing was said.

Will looked at the stormtroopers standing behind a shocked and angered Major Vlosh. Phasma, was standing still, her helmet staring at his now smirking face. A number of stormtroopers stared at him, their bodies still in shock. Will's smirk grew when he spotted Trix. While the heavytooper was stock still, Will could see the heavy blaster charger packs slightly shaking on his black vest; he knew the trooper was gaining some amusement from the scene before him.

"Now," Will said, taking a deep breath, "can we proceed with the exchanging of prisoners?"

"Yes." Major Vlosh ground out, his face was red with anger.

"Great." Will said, clapping his hands together and smiling. He turned to Howe, "Major, you may proceed."

"Aye, sir." Rex said, as he turned to his troops standing behind him. "Release the guard!" He ordered, the Resistance troops, who took two steps away from the prisoners. Rex then turned to the captured stormtroopers, "you troopers will arrange yourselves in double file order."

The captured troopers did not reply, yet did as they were told. During their lining up, the captured lieutenant strolled to the front of the line. Will, who had been watching the entire process, stared at the lieutenant who had given him so much trouble; the blond haired boy glared right back at him.

With his prisoners now ready to be exchanged, Will turned to face Major Vlosh once more. "Major, your troops are prepared to be exchanged; I suggest you do the same for my men."

Vlosh glared daggers at him, "I do not answer orders from you." The man seethed.

"Correct," Will said, "because if you did, I would have thrown your ass into a security cell for your idiocy. Now, release my men." Will said in a stern voice, brokering no room for further discussion.

Still visibly angry, Vlosh turned to Captain Phasma, whose eyes had been fixed on the enemy colonel in front of her. "Phasma!" He snapped, "Release the prisoners."

"Yes, sir." Phasma ground out, her hate for the major flowing through her body; she turned to Sergeant Krax behind her, "Release the prisoners back to Colonel Anders."

" Yes, sir" Krax responded, soon afterwards, the Resistance prisoners were as orderly as the captured stormtroopers.

With the two sides ready to exchange prisoners, Will looked at Major Vlosh. "The exchange between both parties will be simultaneous."

"Correct." Vlosh angrily snapped. "Commence the exchange!" He ordered in a loud yell.

The First Order stormtroopers began to shepherd the Resistance prisoners forward.

Rex turned to look at Will, who nodded. Turning around, Rex gave a nod to his men, and soon the captured stormtroopers began to march forward, back to their men. The black clad lieutenant, who had been at the front of the procession, stopped and stood off to the side of the moving mass of white armor; he simply glared in disgust at Will.

The process went smoothly, and soon the last lines of prisoners were reaching their men. One of the last captured stormtroopers was Whip, both he and Will nodding to each other as Whip passed by and back into his own line. All the prisoners were exchange, all but the black clad lieutenant, who continued to glare at Will. Tense silence filled the air as Will and the lieutenant glared at each other. All eyes were on the pair, Phasma, Rex, Krax, Vlosh, Trix, Whip, and everyone else stared at the scene. Then, slowly, the lieutenant advanced towards Will, stopping just an arm's length away from the green clad colonel.

The blond haired lieutenant looked at Will, then turned his head downwards and spit on Will's black shoes. Will displayed no reaction to the act, he simply continued to stare at the lieutenant who had just soiled his shoes. The lieutenant raised his head back up and gave Will a smile. "Filth." He said quietly, but loud enough for those nearest to the pair to hear.

This time Will reacted. He smiled at the boy, then he slapped him as hard as he could across his pretty little face. The sound rang through the clearing, a couple of soldiers flinching at the sound. The boy cried out in pain and stumbled. Will fully expected the action to cause a few blasters being drawn and pointed at him, however, the stormtroopers simply stared at the scene.

Will once again turned his gaze to the lieutenant, the man clutching his reddened cheek. "Lieutenant, for future reference, it is not wise to spit on somebody else's clothing, it may get you into trouble." Will said calmly, with the tone of a scolding mother.

Major Vlosh gently grabbed the lieutenant, who was once again glaring at Will, and pulled him behind his body. He turned to Will, fire in his eyes.

"How dare you! This is not how an officer is supposed to conduct himself." Vlosh screamed at Will, the colonel merely smiled.

"If the measurement of your officers is the measurement of how an officer should act, I will take that as a compliment." Will said with a small smile of his face. "We are done here." He said with finality. Behind him, Rex ordered his troops to withdrawal, his men doing so. Will remained where he was as his men moved away, the First Order troops had yet to withdrawal.

Vlosh then turned to Phamsa. "Captain Phasma, send our men back to base." He said irritably.

Phasma turned around to her men. "Withdrawal back to base, march!" The troops about faced and began to march away slowly.

Phasma, Vlosh, and the lieutenant remained, all staring at Will. Will smiled at the trio, he looked behind himself and noticed that Rex was waiting for Will to join him. Will turned back and looked at Phasma. Once again he gave the captain a stiff military salute. "Captain Phasma, until next time."

"Indeed, Colonel Anders." Phasma said, returning the salute.

Will nodded and then turned back and joined his major. The two slipping in the forest, heading back to their base. They had got what they came for, but the day was far from over.

* * *

Will and Rex marched behind their men. Will turned to Rex, "What time is it?"

"1800 hours." Rex replied, "When is the attack supposed to initiate?"

"Soon, when the enemy has just gotten back at their base. Then we strike." Will told Rex, the latter nodding.

"What about the enemy transports above the planet?" Rex asked, a look of worry crossing his face. He did not remember Will going over that particular point with him.

Will smiled. "Have no worry Rex, I am collaborating with Commander Poe Dameron in this matter. When we launch the ground attack, he Will run raids on the enemy ships orbiting above. Not to destroy them, but to prevent any reinforcements from being sent to the planet."

It took an hour for them to get back to base, and when they did, both Rex and Will wasted no time, they all but ran to General Maxime's building. Activating a holotable, they prepared for the coming attack they hoped would drive the First Order off planet.

* * *

Phasma walked behind Vlosh and Hagg, the two men appeared to be angry. Phasma had marched to the exchange expecting nothing but boring talk, but she should have known better. William Anders was anything but boring. Instead, she had reveled in the exchange. Anders all but eviscerated Vlosh, in a manner she had wanted to do for a great deal of time. Eviscerated, humiliated, and angered. She knew Vlosh would not let this incident go, he would hold a grudge against Anders for as long as he lived. The moment Anders struck Hagg was perhaps one of the best in her life. She had wanted to choke the life out of the man multiple times, but knew that doing so would lead to her imprisonment, even if she was a superior officer.

She had been so caught up in her thoughts that when she focused herself once again, she and her men were nearing the base, the durasteel walls gleaming in the rising moonlight.

* * *

Will and Rex stared at the holotable, showing the positions of the First Order troops. They had just returned to base, and Will knew it was the moment of truth.

He activated a comm, and anxiously waited for the answer.

"Sir?" A voice finally said, Will sighed in relief.

" Lieutenant Keen, commence the attack." He said, his voice filled with excitement and also apprehension.

"Aye, sir." Keen replied, and the comm went dead.

Will could only hope everything went according to plan.

Lieutenant Maxus Keen turned to his men who were huddled up against the banks of the steep creek. He gave them a hand signal, and soon his force of two hundred and eighty men and women began to silently make their way up the steep slope.

When they were within range of the durasteel walls, Keen signaled the demolition experts.

The demo team fired shoulder mounted explosive bolts at the walls opening them up easily.

"Attack!" Keen screamed, and soon, the silent night was filled with the sound of blaster fire, and explosions.

* * *

Phasma and her men were in a state of confusion and panic. One moment all was quiet, and then the next, a huge explosion and the sound of blaster fire greeted her ears. By the time she had recovered from shock and surprise, she noticed that half the base was already overrun by the Resistance. She unclipped her blaster from her thigh and began to fire at the enemy, who fired back; their bolts narrowly missing her body, some passing through her cape. She managed to drop a few, but was soon overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. She began to retreat, as she did so, she looked around the base, and was shocked. None of her men were fighting alongside her; in fact, none of her men were even nearby. She heard the sounds of shuttle engines firing up, and ran to the landing dock. She was horrified by what she saw. Many hundreds of stormtroopers and officers were packing themselves into the shuttles, preparing to abandon the base, and Shiri along with it. She was furious. Turning around she blasted yet another Resistance soldier to the ground, then turned and ran for the last shuttle on the ground. She got there just in time. The ramp soon lifted, and the shuttle flew into the night sky.

Phasma was silent for the entire trip. Her anger grew to levels she had never thought herself possible. She had a feeling who had ordered the complete withdrawal of her troops, and she was not surprised. She would rejoice the day Vlosh and Hagg died, perhaps by her gauntleted and gloved hands. Her rage had died down to a simmering anger. She thought of the enemy attack. She knew the man behind it, Will Anders, and her desire to kill the man grew. However, her deadly desire was soon tampered by a new feeling. One of respect and annoyance; Anders had done what she had wanted to do for so long, humiliate Vlosh and strike Hagg. She knew she had respect for the man, if not for his satisfying antics today, then for his respect towards her and his men. Phasma considered Anders to be her equal. This surprise attack of his was brilliant when she began to think about it, he had caught them unprepared, just coming back to camp. What amazed Phasma even further was that Anders did not give an inkling as to his intentions at the exchange. Even her weak Force probing revealed nothing, all she found was a mental wall when she tried to get into Anders' mind. She knew he was a force sensitive, much like herself; perhaps that was why they were such good military leaders. Her annoyance flared up after the thought, she should have expected Anders to try something like this.

Lost in her thoughts, Phasma stood in the shuttle, not moving until it touched down on the transport orbiting above Shiri.

* * *

Vlosh was seething. Colonel William Anders had not only humiliated him in front of his men, he had surprised Vlosh. Vlosh repeated the mantra in his head that nothing surprised him, and he believed it. With the enemy fighters attacking his ships the instant they tried to send aid to him, he knew his position was untenable. Anders had single handedly destroyed his position on Shiri, and possibly his good standing with his friend, General Hux.

"I will kill you William Anders." He growled to himself. _And soon_ , he mentally added.

* * *

Will rejoiced when he learned that Keen and his men had captured the enemy base. "The planet is ours!" He yelled, surprising the men who walked around him in the command center. He ran over to Rex and grabbed the man in a bear hug. Rex Howe laughed and returned the hug. Will knew that the war was far from over, and that it was unbecoming of him, but he wanted to revel in this victory, and damn it, he would.


	15. Duel

Chapter 14: Duel

William Anders watched his men return to base in a state of jubilation. All around him, Resistance soldiers cheered and hollered as they returned. He offered his men a bright smile and the occasional fist pump. On the comms in the headquarters, the cheers of Resistance pilots abounded over the airwaves. This was a sweet victory, and one the Resistance needed, badly. They had had nothing but defeats or inconclusive battles for many months, this victory, Will hoped, would push the tide in their favor.

He still could not believe it. The planet was theirs! The Resistance on Shiri, had driven off an enemy force two times their size.

Rex moved up beside him, the major having come from the headquarters. He turned to Will and gave him a smile.

Will smiled in return. "What are you smiling about?"

Rex laughed, "Oh nothing, just the fact that a force of two hundred and fifty of our soldiers drove off an enemy force of two thousand plus troops."

"That is something to smile about." Will said, nodding his head.

Will and Rex noticed that many of his men were beckoning the pair over; they happily went to join their troops.

After much hugging, back patting, and even a promotion or two, Rex and Will retired to their quarters. It was late, around two hours after midnight on Shiri. The moon was high in the sky, and the sky pitch black. As Will and Rex walked back to their quarters, Rex stopped Will with a hand on his shoulder in the narrow hallway leading to their separate rooms.

Will looked at his friend quizzically. "What is it?"

"I did not mention this to you earlier, but there were some casualties incurred during the attack." Rex gave Will a serious look.

"How many?" Will asked, not knowing if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Twenty wounded, none killed." Rex said, a sigh of relief coming from Will.

"What about the enemy?" Will asked the major.

Rex shrugged his shoulders. "We do not know. It appears that the First Order retrieved their dead and wounded as they fled, so we have no accurate count."

Will nodded, "It matters not, all that matters is that this planet is ours." Another large smile overtook his previously serious features.

"Yes indeed." Rex smiled. "Oh, I also forgot to mention something else."

Will rolled his eyes, "Of course you did."

Rex playfully whacked Will in the shoulder. "Poe the pilot asked me in a very happy voice for you to contact him." Rex held a finger up when he noticed that Will was about to speak. "Also, the High Command Council wishes to speak with you."

Will's face turned into a small frown, anything to do with the High Command Council was usually not good, at least in his experience. The only good in going there was to see Leia, and the few other people who liked him. "I will do so at once."

The pair walked down the rest of the hallway and got to their respective doors.

"Goodnight." Both of them told the other, each walking into their rooms, the two doors sliding shut behind them.

When Will entered his room, he remembered that in his haste to get to headquarters, he had forgotten his comm in his room. Mentally scolding himself, he rushed over and retrieved the object. A small blinking red light caused his worry to skyrocket, had he missed a call from the High Command Council? If so, he would most likely never hear the end of it.

He clicked the button that would replay any message that was left for him.

"Hey kid!" Will was shocked when he heard that voice. "Chewie and I are proud of ya! Man, it seems only yesterday that we ran into each other in that Semian pub, but look at us now; me getting lots and lots of credits, and you, winning battles!" The message ended, and Will was simply left staring at the device. He had not expected to hear from Han Solo for awhile, the aging smuggler, well, had smuggling to do all over the galaxy.

Will planned to call his friend back, but a yawn stopped him. He would do so in the morning, after he had a well deserved rest.

* * *

Phasma had not walked from her quarters since she had stormed aboard many hours ago. After their crippling defeat on Shiri, she and her troops had to fight their way to the large transports orbiting the planet. Resistance fighters were everywhere, and Phasma fully expected for her shuttle to be shot out of the sky. Through the mayhem of large bolts, explosions, and the whirring of fighter engines as they screamed by, Phasma did not see a single TIE fighter.

She was beyond angry. How could the organizational structure that was the very core of the First Order break down to readily? The growl that came through her helmet was audible when she remembered the reason. Because of incompetent leaders and skillful enemy commanders; Major Vlosh had panicked when he saw what Colonel Anders had planned for him. The hatred that Phasma had for the ass kissing major had no only increased, it had skyrocketed. But then she sighed. Physically attacking the idiot would get her nowhere, however much she wanted to. She would wait, because in time, she knew that Major Vlosh would be destroyed; destroyed by the puzzle of a man that was Resistance Colonel William Anders.

 _Anders_.

The thought of the young man brought, once again, feelings of confusion and irritation. The nagging force induced headaches only increased and intensified when she was around the young man. His tactical skill and strategic maneuvers were some of the best she had seen; the surprise attack that had driven her and the First Order off Shiri being the latest example. Phasma did not know what to think. How was it possible for such a military genius to go around acting as if he had not a care in the galaxy? How was it possible for him- a major threat to the First Order, and targeted to be killed on General Hux's own orders- to treat her and her troopers with the utmost respect and compassion? Even though it went against everything she had been taught and learned, she could not stop her interest in the man. He was much like her younger self, always curious, and filled with compassion towards everyone.

Phasma thought harder, the more she thought, the more she connected the dots. Colonel William Anders shared many traits with her, the captain he had the chance of running into all across the galaxy.

 _Perhaps it is not chance_. Phasma thought _. Perhaps it is the Force; perhaps it is trying to tell me something._

While she was considered mildly force sensitive, Phasma had grown to respect the Force, and its power; if it was indeed trying to tell her something, she would listen.

It was not just her that had become interested by Anders, he rubbed off on her men as well. Many of the troops she had taken to Jakku, including Trix, Nines, and Krax; along with those who had been captured on Shiri, all spoke of the colonel constantly. They knew their mission, their duty, and their objectives; they were unquestionably loyal to the First Order, yet that did not stop them from talking about the colonel. During their conversations regarding Anders, malice or hate was a rarity, instead, the stormtroopers spoke with curiosity or even praise in their voices.

Phasma dropped her helmeted head in her gloved and gauntlet-ed hands, what was she going to do?

* * *

Sitting on a torn up bed in his quarters, Major Vlosh had thought he had released his pent up rage. General Hux was less than pleased to hear that his subordinate had lost a planet, however, the general had reassured him that Shiri was minor in the First Order's larger goals.

The thought of William Anders, the man humiliating him in front of his troops, and then driving him off planet caused a reassurance of rage. With a red face, he walked over to the small table that sat in the middle of his cramped quarters and flipped it over onto its side; the datapads that were on it crashing to the hard floor. He needed to take care of this thorn in his side, or he would never succeed in the military. He would never reach the highest echelons he had aspired to, he would never have control. That was unacceptable, if he were to reach those goals, William Anders would have to go.

He thought deeply for many minutes, going over the potential options. He wanted to appear as honorable and fair, which he thought he was, so assassination did not seem the route to go. His eyes widened when he figured out the idea. A duel. He knew duels were fairly common in the galaxy, and it seemed the perfect setting to kill Anders.

Picking up his comm he got in contact with intelligence. "I request a Resistance comm channel."

"For what sir?" The agent on the other side replied, clearly confused as to why an officer would ask for such.

"Do as I say!" Vlosh snapped, hating his subordinates more and more.

The man wisely said nothing, and soon he had been given a channel.

"This channel is a wide ranging frequency; it can be broadcasted, and heard by many different Resistance bases." The agent told him before the comm line went dead.

He input the frequency code but did not activate a line of communication. He sat for a couple minutes contemplating his moves. Then he took a deep breath, if he was to succeed in life, he had to do this. If the First Order was to succeed, he would have to take out its most skilled leaders. He made a mental list in his head, and then activated the comm.

Without waiting for a reply on the other end, Vlosh began to speak. "This is Major Quillian Vlosh of the First Order. I am contacting the Resistance not asking for terms, but an opportunity. I am calling on Resistance members, Major Rex Howe, Commander Poe Dameron, and Colonel William Anders. I am challenging you three to a duel. Seeing as you have destroyed my forces I find no other choice but to call for such an action. I will be awaiting your call, and do make it quick." He ended the comm call by throwing the device against the wall, the comm shattering and sparking on impact.

* * *

It was not just the Resistance that Vlosh had broadcasted the call to. It was nearly the entire First Order. Phasma was surprised when she heard it, but then felt disgusted. How stupid was Vlosh? She had seen personally the skills of both Anders and Howe when it came to fighting; she knew that Vlosh would bring backup, however, it would not matter.

Phasma smiled at the revelation that blossomed in her mind.

Major Quillian Vlosh was a dead man walking.

 **HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

 **-LittleP**


	16. Showdown

Chapter 15: Showdown

Will listened and then re-listened to Vlosh's message on the shuttle trip to D'Qar. It had been only two days since the Resistance victory on Shiri, and a day since Vlosh had issued his challenge. Outwardly, Will told his troops that he did not know if he would accept the man's invitation to duel, but in his heart he knew that he would accept. He had spent a day on this shuttle, and had spent his entire time performing a cost- benefit analysis in regards to the duel.

With his mind made up, he unstrapped himself from the seat and made his way to the cockpit. He walked into the cramped space, the two pilots in front of him, and viewed the sight before him. Just outside the window was the beautiful world of D'Qar. Even from above, its lush and green forests and meadows spread out across the landmasses, green surrounded by the blue of the oceans.

"How long until we land?" Will asked, the shuttle rocking caused him to grab hold of the copilot's seat.

"Less than five minutes." The pilot replied.

Will nodded and decided that taking his seat for the descent phase was probably the best option. Returning to his seat and strapping himself in, he closed his eyes and relaxed; after all, he was going to see the High Command Council in a few minutes.

* * *

The shuttle set down on a landing pad surrounded by brush and trees. A small path led to the large Resistance base a few hundred meters away. Hearing the thump of the landing gears, Will unstrapped himself and stood up. The ramp began to lower, and after Will had gone to the cockpit to thank his two pilots, he exited the shuttle. Once he got to the bottom of the ramp he stopped and looked around; D'Qar seemed very similar to Shiri, it had trees, brush, streams, meadows, hills, and mountains. Perhaps the only difference was that Shiri was a few degrees cooler than D'Qar, the latter having constant humidity.

Being surrounded by the quietness of nature relaxed him, and he wanted to stand here all day, but Will knew he should not keep General Organa waiting. Sighing in disappointment, he walked down the narrow dirt path away from the landing pad, and soon the giant entrance greeted him. Walking up to and though the hillside entrance, he once again found himself reminiscing. For Will it seemed like his killing of former Lieutenant Jaxes, and subsequent escort to this very same base was a lifetime ago, but in reality, it was perhaps only four standard weeks ago.

Walking through the familiar halls, he came upon a very familiar door. He stood before it for only a few seconds before he heard the command to enter.

Stepping through the two doors, Will was once again greeted by familiar faces. Some smiled at him, others scowled or frowned, and others remained neutral. He halted and stared around at the many faces. His eyes fell of General Organa's, and he returned the smile she was giving him.

"Colonel Anders, you have been called here to deliver your report about your actions on Shiri." Major Caluan Ematt was the first to speak.

"Sure." Will said, not bothering to address Organa's Chief of Staff properly.

"Well Colonel Anders, you may start." General Donhue said with a scoff.

" Well, we won." That was all Will had to say on the matter.

"Really?" Donhue leaned on his fist, a look of curiosity across his face. "That is all you have to say?"

Will nodded, "Yes, you have all been briefed on the matter so my explanation will be a waste of my breath." He did not care if his voice held a tone of annoyance, he hated the general already.

Leia interrupted the man before he had a chance to reply. "That is correct Colonel Anders. I happen to agree, you restating what we already know is a waste."

Will nodded at his friend. "Much appreciated General Organa."

"Then we move on." The colonel who sat nearest to Will said, the diminutive old man giving Will a small smile. "General Maxime, the commander of the Resistance Base on Shiri, said you not only disobeyed his orders, you physically attacked him."

There was a silence in the room; Will had to choose his words carefully if he did not want to be court marshaled. "If I did nothing, sat by and obeyed his orders, the Resistance would have been destroyed on Shiri." Will said quietly.

"And how did you come to such a conclusion?" A female alien asked him.

" Because," Will began, " General Maxime had ordered his troops to stay put. They were attacked every night by First Order raiding parties; having received no adequate reinforcements, his forces were being depleted. It was only a matter of time before his base was overrun and captured by the enemy. I decided to put my foot down and disobeyed his orders." His voice was filled with confidence.

Leia looked at him quizzically. "And would you do so again?"

Will nodded. "If it means salvaging the mission and saving the lives of our soldiers."

"That is a point of disagreement." Major Ematt said with anger in his voice.

"With all due respect, major, any good officer would realize it should not be." His quip was aimed at more than a few members seated in front of him.

"I agree." The old colonel said, causing Will to nod.

"What about the fact that you struck a superior officer?" Ematt asked a further question, the man was no doubt trying to pin blame on Anders wherever possible.

" It was in self defense." Will stated simply.

"Self defense!" Donhue spat, "you beat a superior officer!"

Will shook his head adamantly. "He came at me first. What did you expect me to do, General Donhue, sit there at take a large man barreling into me?"

"He had good reason to!" Donhue replied, Will's eyes were alight in anger, but he did not reply.

"General Donhue, you may excuse yourself!" Leia roared, silencing the room.

"General Organa, I was simply telling Colonel Anders of his folly." Donhue attempted to defend himself.

Leia shook her head and pointed to the door. "I will not have such behavior in MY room. There is the door, show yourself out." Her tone brokered no argument.

General Donhue slowly stood up and walked to the door, glaring at Will as he passed. The doors slid open, and the general slipped out. With the doors closed again, the discussion could resume.

The old colonel was the next to ask a question. "What did you do to Maxime that caused him to have such a violent reaction?"

Will smiled, remembering his exact words to the fat general. "I told him he could take his orders to stay put and shove them up his ass."

The old man's cackling greeted his ears. "Excellent, a good officer you are."

"I do not think such actions are appropriate for this meeting, Colonel Levinghawg." Major Ematt said, his voice still filled with malice and annoyance. "Colonel Anders willingly disobeyed orders, and struck a superior officer, I recommend he be arrested at once."

Silence greeted his speech, and Leia Organa had taken to staring at her chief of staff. "Well, Major Ematt, you do not get the final say in these decisions." Leia said smugly, "I will not charge Colonel Anders with anything."

"And why not?" Ematt was quick to reply, anger coloring his voice.

"We have not even congragulated him on his stunning victory. He single handedly fought off and defeated an enemy force many times superior to his own forces." Leia held her finger up to show she was not finished, "and in the situation Maxime put him in, I also would have disobeyed and beat the man."

She looked around at the members of the High Command Council. " We will take a vote, all those in favor of punishing Colonel Anders?"

"Aye." Ematt said, the only one doing so.

"All those against." Leia asked.

"Nay." The chorus of voices responded, Leia included.

Colonel Anders is absolved of any wrongdoing. This meeting is adjourned." Leia ended the meeting before anyone could oppose her.

The members shuffled out in an orderly fashion; once again, Leia and Will were left alone.

"Excellent job William, you make the Jedi proud." Leia said as she walked over to Anders.

"How so, general?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow.

" I can feel that the Force played a role in your victories on Shiri." She smiled at him.

"Really?" Will asked.

"Indeed. While you may not have the force sensitivity of a Jedi, you are still very special. How goes you training?" Leia asked, curiosity in her voice.

Will shook his head. "I have not had the time to practice recently. However, I can pick up on other force signatures."

"Really?" Leia asked.

Will nodded. "Yeah, there is a nagging feeling in my brain when _she_ is around." Will caught his mental slip too late; he had already spoken it out loud.

"She, who is this she you speak of?" Leia asked, it was her turn to raise her eyebrows.

Will sighed. "She is a stormtrooper, an enemy, known as Captain Phasma."

Leia nodded. "Ah yes, force sensitivity would explain her position in the First Order and skills on the battlefield."

Will nodded but then his look turned solemn. "Will I ever be like you and Luke?"

"No, your blood does not contain the necessary amount of midichlorians." Seeing Will's face fall, Leia was quick to assure the man. "But, that does not mean you are a failure. Far from it, you are perhaps one of the greatest officers the Resistance has ever seen. I am sure of it." With that Leia gave him a huge smile, then brought her hand up to squeeze his shoulder. "I must be off."

"See you later, General Organa." Will said, smiling back at her.

" See you later, Colonel Anders." Leia said before she exited the room.

Will stood there for a few minutes more, processing what Leia had told him, before he exited the room.

* * *

He was given quarters for the night, the ship carrying his troops would arrive above D'Qar the next day.

Waking up in the morning, he quickly stretched, showered, and got dressed. Then Will was out the door, his mind set on finding his men and Major Howe.

He went to the temporary barracks set up in the large base, and it was there he found the man he was looking for. Having gotten the number of Rex's quarters, Will quietly found the door and entered. Once inside, his gaze fell to his sleeping major. He switched on the lights and stomped his feet, making as much noise as possible.

"Wake up Rex!" He shouted.

Rex's eyes opened and the man glared at him. "What do you want Will, I am trying to sleep."

"I want to talk to you about something." Will said, crouching down until he was eye level with the man in the bunk.

"What?" Rex replied, his voice rough with sleep.

" Did you hear about Vlosh's challenge?" Will asked, although he knew the answer.

"How could I not." Rex said dryly.

"What should we do?" Will asked, although his mind was made up, he needed to know about Poe and Rex.

"Accept." Rex said, Will's face was filled with surprise.

"Really? Accept his challenge?" Will asked.

"Yes, he needs to go." Rex said in a stern voice.

"How will this go down?" Will asked his major.

"We surprise him, like we have before." Rex said before snuggling under his covers once more.

Taking that as his queue, Will left the tired man alone. Now he searched out Poe Dameron.

He found the commander in the fighter bay, sitting atop his X-wing. Poe spotted him as he neared. "Ah, Colonel Anders, I was wondering when the man himself would show up here."

Will smiled as he neared. "Same to you Commander Dameron; your reputation precedes you."

Poe jumped down onto the floor with a soft thud. "As does yours."

The two shook hands.

" Commander, I came to discuss the duel that has been issued to you, Major Howe, and I from First Order Major Vlosh." Will told Dameron.

Dameron nodded. "And you wanted to find out what I thought?"

"Yes." Will said.

"Well, let's get him." Dameron said instantly.

"Really?" Will said.

"Really really." Dameron nodded and smiled.

Will smiled in return. "I will contact you with further details on this matter." He gave the man one last hand shake then turned around and began to head away.

"When should I look forward to killing this man?" Dameron said behind him.

" Soon." Will said cryptically without turning around.

* * *

And soon it was. Less than a week later, the trio had gotten together and agreed that they would accept the challenge in a very public and surprising setting.

They had gotten a shuttle and together, they lifted off towards the planet of Nar Shadda, on their way to their destination. There they would get supplies to aide them in their weeklong journey.

Steering through the speeder filled atmosphere, Will was nervous, but still ready to finally face Vlosh. Setting the small ship down, he lowered the ramp, and together, he, Dameron, and Howe got out. Wearing civilian clothes, the three went about getting supplies for the ship.

Will headed to the nearest market. As he passed a bar on his way to the food vendors a voice stopped him.

"Will!"

He turned to face the voice and was shocked by who he saw, Han Solo.

"Han!" Will said, walking rapidly over to where the gray haired man leaned against the wall.

He reached the man and the two shook hands and gave each other a half hug. "How are you?" Will asked.

"Oh you know, me and the walking carpet are making credits. How about yourself?" Han stuck his hands into his pockets.

Will laughed at Han's description of Chewie. "Well I am okay, still in the Resistance, all is well."

"Yeah, heard you won a battle, very good." Han said, smiling all the while.

"Where is Chewie?" Will asked, noticing Han's constant companion was not around.

"He is back at the ship, we got some repairs to do." Han said.

"Of course you do." Will said jokingly.

"Hey! Leia did that, now you? Oh no." Han put his head in his hands and feigned being distraught.

Will only laughed.

"How is she by the way?" Han asked, looking at Will once more.

"She's good, ordering her generals around like always." The comment caused Han to laugh.

"That is so much like her. " He said.

Before Will had a chance to reply, his comm beeped. He knew who it was. He looked at Han with sadness in his eyes. "I have to go, ship's waiting."

Han looked down, but maintained much of his composure. "Okay, sure."

He walked over to Will and gave him a hug. "Be careful, kid."

Will returned the hug before parting. "I will, say hello to Chewie."

"Will do." Han said, before Will walked away.

* * *

He boarded the ship once more, and blasted up and away from Nar Shadda.

When they reached the planets outer atmosphere, Will plugged in the coordinates for their next target.

"Next destination," he said, turning to look at Poe, who was in the pilot's seat, and Rex who sat behind them, " Starkiller Base."

 **Again, I apologize ahead of time for errors. I need to stop writing these chapters at 2 in the morning. :P**

 **-LittleP**


	17. An Unexpected Party

Chapter 16: An Unexpected Party

"So….. how are we to get into Starkiller Base?" Rex posed the question; both Poe and Will looked at each other, then at Rex.

"We have not thought about that." Poe said honestly, in their haste, none of them planned ahead.

Rex sighed, "I guess now is better than never. What is our estimated time of arrival?"

"Four hours." Will said as he looked at the console in front of him.

Rex nodded, "Right, let's get started then." He sat down in his seat and put his chin in his hands, deep in thought.

All three were silent for a moment, thinking about what to do next.

"I have an idea." Will piped up, breaking the silence.

Both Rex and Poe looked at him. "Do you think Resistance Intel could get us some codes?"

"First Order clearance codes are hard to come by, the process would take too long." Poe shook his head and sighed.

Will shook his head and smiled. "When we took Shiri, the First Order, in their haste, left behind two shuttles. They were relatively intact; they could still have the codes onboard."

" You do not think the First Order would have disabled them by now?" Rex asked with an eyebrow raised.

"It is possible." Will said, both Rex and Poe frowned, "but right now, it is the only thing I can come up with."

Rex looked around the shuttle they were on. "This is a First Order shuttle that was captured some months back, if we get a good code, they will not know the difference." He looked at Poe who still frowned.

Finally, Poe relented, nodding his approval. "Okay, that seems like the best plan."

Will nodded and swiveled his chair to face the console in front of him. He activated the ship's long range comm and contacted the Resistance; one specific person in particular.

"Yes, who is it?" Major Ematt answered in a frustrated tone of voice.

Will smiled. "Major Ematt, this is Colonel Anders, I am requesting to speak to General Organa, it is an urgent matter."

"Colonel Anders," Ematt spat, "General Organa is not available at this moment. I am going to ask that you leave her a message."

Will heard the lie as soon as the man spoke one word. "Is that so, Major Ematt?"

"I am afraid so, Colonel Anders; your message, please." The man spoke with a smile in his voice.

Will smiled in response. Even if his force sensitivity was not great, he would get Leia's attention. He had trained himself to "nudge" minds when he was a young boy, as it made getting people's attention a lot easier than shouting. The distance was vast, but he would give it a shot. Closing his eyes, he cleared his mind and focused. He felt the two strong signatures of Rex and Poe, and stretching further, found the faint signature of Ematt. Stretching his mind even further he found a signature he knew well, he focused all of his energy on the signature and gave it a mental flick. The response was immediate, the signature flared to life.

He only had to wait a few seconds for the fruits of his work to bear results.

"Ematt!" He heard a voice shout over the comm in the background.

"General?" Ematt sounded surprised.

" Is that Colonel Anders on the line?" She asked, her voice raised in question.

"Yes, general. However, you have a meeting that started three minutes ago." Ematt attempted to explain himself.

" Screw the meeting, what he has to say is important, hand over the comm." Organa ordered her chief of staff.

"But ma'am.." Ematt started to say.

"Major Ematt!" Leia roared, and suddenly there was a cry of shock and the whirring of air streaming past the microphone.

Will, Rex, and Poe looked at each other, wondering what had just occurred.

" Colonel Anders?" Leia's voice boomed over the comm.

"General Organa? What just happened?" Will asked in confusion.

"The Force is what happened." Leia said, smugness in her voice.

Will smiled, knowing exactly what she meant.

"What are you in need of, colonel?" Leia asked Will.

"I need First Order clearance codes, General Organa." Will said, metaphorically crossing his fingers and hoping for the best.

Leia was silent for a moment before she spoke. "Did you take up that foolish major's offer?" Her tone was scolding, like that of an older sibling reprimanding a younger one.

"Yes I did, general." Will said, hoping that Leia would not be too mad at him for doing so.

"When this is over, you will give me an explanation about you and your comrade's foolish behavior." She said in a stern tone that made Will gulp.

"Will do, general." Will said calmly, although he was not looking forward to the future meeting.

"How soon do you need to codes?" Leia asked getting back to the matter at hand.

"Four hours." Will said, hoping they were not too late.

Leia sighed. "That is cutting it close, but doable. I will have intelligence doing double; I do not want to send three good officers to their graves."

Will smiled. "Thanks for the sentiment, General Organa."

All three heard Leia chuckle over the comm. "You are most welcome Colonel Anders; I will contact you when I have the codes ready."

Will and his two companions nodded. "We will be awaiting your contact, again, thank you, General Organa.

"Do not thank me yet, I still do not have your codes." Leia said with mirth, the line then went dead.

Will looked up at Rex and Poe.

"What do we do now?" Rex asked the other two.

"We wait. " Poe replied.

* * *

It was nearly two hours later that the three Resistance officers were jolted from their stupor by the beeping of the ship's comm. Without hesitation, Will clicked it on.

"General Organa?" He said, he had not bothered to check the code, for all he knew, it could be a First Order ship hailing them.

"Colonel Anders, I have your codes." Leia said, Will's momentary worry passing him. Within a few seconds, Poe had the codes and was in putting them into the onboard computer.

"Much appreciated, general." Will said with sincerity.

" The pleasure is mine. However, once this stunt is over, I want you three to report to me immediately." Leia's voice brokered no disagreement.

All three of them nodded. "Yes, ma'am." Rex, Will, and Poe said in unison.

"Good luck, and kick their behinds." Leia said in a noticeably lighter tone than seconds earlier.

"We will, General Organa." Will said with a smile before cutting the call.

With the codes put in, they sat back and waited.

"Do you guys know how to fight?" Poe asked Rex and Will.

The two nodded, Rex speaking first. "When I was a young lad, my parents sent me to close quarter's combat courses after my schooling. I was taught a variety of martial arts, from Teras Kasi to bush fighting. I cannot say I am a master, but I am proficient."

Poe nodded, " I was taught by my father, who was an Hijkata trainer." Poe then looked to Will.

Will looked back. "I guess you can say I know Echani pretty well." He stared down to the console as if not wanting to gloat.

"Pretty well." Rex scoffed, Poe turning to look at him.

"What do you mean?" Poe asked Rex.

"If things get bad, you will see." Rex said.

Poe smiled and nodded, "I cannot wait."

* * *

The intervening two hours passed quickly, and the trio soon found the ice covered planet of Starkiller Base taking up their entire view screen; the shuttle just outside detection range.

"Good goodness, why is it split in half like that?" Will asked, noticing the planet was split at its widest point by what appeared to be a manmade super structure. "Is that what destroys entire star systems?"

Poe nodded. "Yes, the laser is powered by a host star," he pointed to the ball of plasma that the planet orbited, "and when fully charged, can destroy a whole star system."

"Good goodness." Rex muttered in horror.

"Well, are we ready?" Poe asked as he thumbed the throttles; both Rex and Will nodded apprehensively.

Poe nodded and pushed the throttles, the shuttle began to move towards the main base of the First Order.

"Shuttle 21509, this is Starkiller Base, respond." A voice suddenly boomed over the comm.

For a moment, all three of them panicked internally, not knowing what to do.

Finally Poe took control. "This is 21509, go ahead Starkiller Base."

"Shuttle 21509, to gain clearance to base, you must transmit proper codes." The voice instructed.

"Copy that." Poe replied, as he punched in controls on the computer.

There was a moment of silence and Will held his breath. He really did not want to be blown to space dust for having the wrong codes.

" 21509, codes are good. Proceed to landing bay fifteen at quadrant nine of the landing area. I repeat, bay fifteen at quadrant nine." The voice said.

Will released the breath he held.

Poe nodded. "Bay fifteen quadrant nine, affirmative."

With that the comm channel was cut. The shuttle began its descent through the cloudy atmosphere.

"We are in." Rex said with astonishment in his voice.

"I know," Poe said, his gaze not wavering from the cockpit windows as he flew the shuttle; "I cannot believe we have just infiltrated their base."

Will remained silent, too surprised and shocked to respond. "I need a cup of café."

"Now?" Rex said surprised.

"Yeah, it calms my nerves. " Will said before he left the cockpit for the small galley onboard.

Both Rex and Poe remained in the cockpit, coming out of the clouds as they neared their proper coordinates; they were shocked by what they say.

Hundreds of meters below, row upon row of many thousands of First Order troops stood, TIE fighters lined up neatly in rows adjacent to the mass of troopers.

"Sith hell, what is that?" Poe said in astonishment.

"What?" Will said as he rushed back into the cockpit, a cup of café in his hands. He stopped when he saw the sight before him. The shuttle continued its descent, the figures below becoming clearer to see.

"It looks like some sort of grand review." Rex said.

"I agree." Poe said, Will nodding his agreement as he took a sip of the hot beverage.

They were now down within a hundred meters, and could clearly see figures standing before the mass of First Order soldiers, but their speed was too great to make out any detail, and soon they had all but passed by the grand gathering. Poe gently guided the shuttle down towards the hanger, and set it down lightly.

Will looked around, fully expecting an inspection crew to appear, but none did.

"Where is everyone?" He asked in confusion.

"At the grand review?" Poe said, as if not believing the statement himself.

"I guess so." Will said, as he walked out of the cockpit and over to his bag. Opening it he put on his heavy coat, the garment the same material and color as his uniform underneath. He buttoned the article of clothing up, he then wound his red Semian officer's sash around his waist, tying it securely over the coat. He then put his belt over the sash, and the accompanying shoulder strap. Putting on his green peaked cap, and tight fitting black gloves, Will was ready.

He picked up his cup of café and then went to see what Rex and Poe were up to. He found them doing much of what he had done, Rex wearing virtually the same uniform as himself, sans the man's different blaster preference, and his different rank insignias on his collar.

Poe was dressing himself in a Resistance commander's dress uniform. The brown jacket adorned with the insignia of commander on the left breast, a brown belt, and brown pants completing the outfit. Poe strapped a small blaster to his belt and looked up at the other two. "Well, we are a nice little splash of color; brown, red, and green."

Will smiled at the statement, indeed they were. He sheathed his large hunting knife on his shoulder strap, and concealed his small switchblade in a pocket on the inside of his coat.

"All ready?" Rex asked the other two.

"Yes." Poe said.

"More than ready." Will said.

Poe punched a button, and the ramp began to lower. The three walked off the shuttle into the empty hanger.

"Now, let's crash this party." Poe said, earning a laugh from Will and Rex. The trio walked out of the hanger, and wandered through the abandoned passageways, hoping it would lead them to where they wanted to be.

* * *

"We will crush the Republic! With our new super weapon, we will put an end to the Resistance, and bring order across the galaxy! The time of the Republic is over; the time for the First Order is now!" General Hux roared from the platform as he looked over row upon endless row of stormtroopers and TIE pilots.

Every trooper and pilot in front of him put their right fist into the air; a huge collective roar of approval met his ears, making him smile. Behind him stood Captain Phasma, General Jeyrex, High Colonel Coppx, and Major Vlosh. Standing behind them, in a single row were black clad officers; and at each of the flanks stood two snowtrooper sergeants, their orange pauldrons sticking sorely out from their white armor.

Hux closed his eyes, the smile still on his face. It felt good to give a speech like this; it was what he was good at, being a former politician on Semia. His black officer's coat billowed in the wind that whipped through the parade grounds. This was his moment to shine, and he would not let anyone take it away from him.

* * *

Captain Phasma stood stoically behind General Hux. She did not necessarily care for partaking in her soldier's roar of victory, but that did not mean she disapproved of what Hux was saying. Rather, she very much liked how her superior spoke, her opinions of the man were boosted, and she could not wait before she had the Republic at its knees and the Resistance on its dying breaths.

 _Anders_. A voice in her mind whispered. A sudden but small surge of unease went through her. If the Resistance was to fall, that would mean the death of William Anders, the man who had done something she never thought anyone could, astonish her. Ever since their last encounter, she had devoted even more time to finding out more about the young man. She had come up with very little additional information, but her force senses always went chaotic when she saw a photo of him, or thought of the boy. It was as if her force signature recognized him, it was as if he were familiar, like she should have known him from some past meeting. But Phasma thought it impossible; she had never encountered the boy before to her knowledge.

Boy, how easy the term came to her. In recent days, Phasma had taken to calling Anders a boy. Compared to her thirty eight years of age, he was, still a young youth, with much life to live. She grimaced behind her helmet; the sound of General Hux's speech did not register in her ears. She had let herself become too comfortable with Anders, regarding him as more of a companion than an enemy.

She forced herself to get back to the present and focus on her superior's speech. However, her force senses went haywire. The ache in her mind increased, and she knew of only one person that caused such bodily response. Anders was near, she did not believe it herself, but the force told her otherwise.

* * *

Will, Rex, and Poe, after many minutes of searching, had found their way around. As they neared the parade grounds, they expected to be spotted by someone, yet, no alarm had been raised, and no blasters had been fired at them. It astonished them that everyone on the planet was either at the parade grounds of listening to Hux's speech. The speech; it chilled all of them to their cores; they knew what would happen if the First Order were to defeat the Resistance, total and utter death and destruction.

They walked and walked, knowing they were getting closer. They were so close now; they could hear the scraps of troopers boots on the cold ground.

"What do we do when they spot us?" Rex asked in a hushed whisper.

Poe turned to him. "We smile."

Will smiled at the comment. "Well, if they do not shoot at us, we shoot at them. We already have a fight picked with Major Vlosh, and the odds are already stacked against us. I do not wish to have the entire parade ground shooting at us."

"Agreed." Poe said, with Rex nodding firmly.

The hall soon gave way to open air, the wind whipped in their faces, and Will's green trench coat flapping as the wind contacted it. It was cold to say the least, Will's cup of cafe producing steam. In front of them they saw the backs of many hundreds of troopers; the black cogs and thermal detonators adorning each trooper's armor.

For a moment, they stood and stared. All three heard the rumbling voice of General Hux, and they could see him, standing on the podium.

Will squinted his eyes, and noticed the glint of sunlight off in the distance, behind Hux. His mind immediately recognized Captain Phasma, his force sense catching up a moment later. The woman's presence was unique in his mind, and he had felt in before when they were near each other.

They were shocked when every stormtrooper in sight raised their right hand in a fist and shouted, the roar vibrating their eardrums. When the huge crowd was silent again, they heard Hux resume his grand speech.

They all looked at each other and nodded; taking a deep breath, Will stepped off first, Poe and Rex were caught slightly off guard, but they caught up to him.

All Will could think as he walked towards the first row of forward facing stormtroopers, was that this was possibly the stupidest thing he had ever done.

They walked past the first row of troopers, Will tensed up, fully expecting to be blasted on the spot. Instead the soldiers whipped their helmets to face them, some of them instinctively switching their safeties off, others audibly gasping in shock. At still they walked, every rank of troopers they passed, many more helmets turned to face them; tracking them as they strolled by. Rex's face was tense, Poe's eyes were wide, and Will just walked, sipping on his café. He smiled when he saw the looks of shock on a group of First Order officer's faces as they passed by. They took a sharp turn to the left and then to the right, the path to the platform where Hux stood was winding. They passed by a large group of orange pauldron wearing sergeants, and as they passed, Will swore he saw both Nines and Krax in the group. Like every other First Order soldier, their helmets tracked the three as they walked by. Will sipped on his café once more, looking over the rows of troopers as he passed, and finding that flametroopers, riot control troopers, and heavytroopers were spread sporadically throughout the large mass of troops.

They rounded the final sharp turn, and the platform rose before them. Standing on it was General Hux, the man falling silent when he saw who was walking towards him. Will, Rex, and Poe finally stopped midway to the large and towering podium. Silence reigned, no one made a sound. Will took the time to take a sip of his café, his gulp breaking the fragile silence. He looked around, humorously noting that the heavytrooper he knew so well, Trix, was standing almost directly adjacent to him, a few ranks deep. He gave a slight nod as he took another sip of his beverage, the gesture so minute, or Trix's shock so complete that the heavytrooper did not acknowledge it. Will turned his neck all the way to his right, and saw, again with humor, the white pauldron of a squad leader. Except this was not any squad leader, it was Whip. The man's stance giving him away immediately, like his comrades, he stared at the three Resistance officers who had managed to infiltrate Starkiller Base.

Rex cleared his throat, and finally broke the tension filled silence. "General Hux, we do apologize for the interruption." Will tried to hide his smirk at Rex's sarcastic filled words by taking another sip of his cafe. "But we were informed that a Major Vlosh wanted to see us, and soon." Rex continued, Poe just managing to contain his laughter.

They were close enough to see Hux's reaction, the man did not speak, but his face betrayed his rage, no doubt not liking the way he was being talked to in front of his men. Will turned his gaze to the chrome trooper behind Hux who was nearly hidden from his view. He saw Phasma's helmet staring right at him, and for a moment he stared right back.

That was when Will saw them. Moving through the ranks, their black clothes standing out from the white armor; stormtroopers tearing their gazes away from the trio to look at the unknown figures passed by silently. Will then noticed four of the same clad figures had appeared at their front, and were walking ever closer. He turned his head to his left, and noticed that five were advancing up their rear. They were completely surrounded by these figures, and they were outnumbered, three of them for the fourteen unknown individuals. The odds were indeed stacked against them, and Will did not like it one bit.

* * *

Phasma felt numb, she did not feel her arms, her legs, or even her head. She wondered what the commotion was with her men, noticing many of them suddenly turning their heads to face something, it continued until she saw the reason. Three figures, one wearing brown, the other two, green. However, she knew at once who two of them were. The red waist sashes, only worn in the Semian military, they could only be two people. Major Howe she noticed when his face came into view. And the other was given away by his force signature. Her force senses, that had first alerted her to Anders' presence, were now screaming at her. However, soon, the jumbling in the force calmed to only a calm whisper. Now here she stood, all around her she sensed confusion, and surprise. And she was no different. The third individual, a man she recognized as Poe Dameron, began to talk. However, all of her focus was on Will Anders, the Resistance colonel who had quite unknowingly, made her life extremely difficult. When the man was finished speaking Phasma barely noticed, her eyes and mind fixated on Will. The boy's head was moving, looking around, and analyzing his surroundings.

A feeling of pride nearly blossomed in her chest at the sight, Anders, was a very aware individual, and it made her proud. She stamped down the feeling before it could appear, she did not know why or how that feeling came about, but the fact that it had, bothered her.

Then she saw the black figures moving through her men, and her blood turned to ice. Major Vlosh had backup, and now the three enemy officers were outnumbered, and quickly being surrounded. She very nearly turned to face Vlosh, the man stood on a step above her and to her right. Anger caused her to grimace and grind her teeth. She was mad, not at Anders, but at Vlosh. She did not understand why, but the thought that the man had so wholly turned this "honorable" duel in his favor made her sick. She knew Anders and Howe were honorable, and would never do such a thing, but the man standing beside her, the man who was a superior, had no such honor. She watched as the black clothed figures surrounded the three. Then Phasma looked at Anders again, and with her advanced optics in her visor, noticed that his eyes were wandering back and forth between the unknown figures. A feeling that she had not felt in over twenty years began to form in her chest, a feeling so alien, she could not put a name to it for a couple of seconds. Worry, worry for William Anders' life. In any other situation, she would have laughed, her worrying over an enemy officer? It was unheard of, and she thought it was a major sign of weakness. Now, however, she could not stop herself. She did not want to see Anders die today, his death would not be honorable, surrounded, outnumbered, and most likely made to suffer before the wings of death took him. Phasma wanted no such thing to come upon him, she wanted to see the young and bashful youth survive; to live, and fight another day. She clenched her fists, her armored fingers scraping against each other. However much these feelings affected her, she was a soldier of the First Order, the logical part of her mind telling her to do nothing; however, the force seeped with her worry and anger.

She watched as Will took another sip from his white ceramic cup, and she smiled. While her worry and anger permeated her very being, the man sipping calmly from his cup as he was surrounded by the figures made her smile slightly. The young man, a boy, seemed to brighten any situation, no matter how dark it seemed.

* * *

Will sipped his café as the figures closed in, many of them stopping just a step or two from them. He looked over one of their shoulders to his front, noticing that two others had stopped far ahead, no doubt acting as backup in case the three of them were successful.

"Are you pests ready to die?" One of them spoke to Will's back, he turned his head to look towards the voice; the man wore black pants, a black coat, black gloves, and had black shoes. His face was pale, very nearly matching the color of the snow on this planet. Will stared at him, then gave him a mocking smile and sipped his café. Rex and Poe had remained silent as well, the two also looking over their opponents.

"I do not think you heard me." The pale man at Will's back said again, his voice clouded with anger. "Are you ready to die?" A hand settled on Will's shoulder and gripped tightly. The red headed man to Will's front took another step forward. Will looked down at his steaming cup of café and smiled at his reflection in the brown liquid.

In a blur Will splashed the man to his front in the face with the scalding liquid, the man screaming in agony as he stumbled back and clawed at his face. Will whipped around the wrenched the pale man's hand off of his shoulder and twisted, hearing a satisfying snap before he brought his mug down and smashed the man's head in with it, the mug shattering on contact. The man dropped to the ground before he could scream in pain for his broken wrist. With lightening speed Will whipped around to face the man who he had scalded, and delivered a viscous super kick to the man's face. The sound of his heavy shoe hitting the man's nose resounded as a heavy slap. Having smashed in one's head, and driven another's facial bones into his braincase, Will was happy to see that Rex, Poe, and the other figures finally realized what had happened. Poe wasted no time in knocking one out with a left hook to his jaw, and Rex roundhouse kicked one behind him, before chopping at the throat of the one in front of him. The man gagged and fell to his knees before Rex dropped him with a knee to the temple. Then the figures swarmed around them, and Will thought they would be overwhelmed. But, they fought on, Will grabbed one charging at him by the throat, and squeezed hard; he simultaneously kicked one in the face who had been about to hit him from behind.

He turned his attention back to the man whose throat he held. He gave the man a wicked smile. "You are going for a ride." He said, before using all of his strength to hoist the man up in the air by his neck, and slam him down on the unforgiving ground, the man's head cracking as it hit the cold durasteel. Will turned and saw that Rex and Poe were taking care of the five that had been at their rear, he then turned his attention to the front. Noticing that two of the figures were missing, he guessed that they had already been caught up in the melee. However, two figures remained, each standing still, and waiting, waiting for Will to make a move.

Will removed his peaked cap, which remarkably, had not fallen off in the previous hand to hand combat. He then dug his back heel in and looked at the two figures in front of him. They noticed him, and tensed, no doubt readying for the coming fight. Will wasted no time, he ran as fast as he could, and when he was within proper distance, bent his body downward, and did something he had not done in a while. He back flipped, three times to be exact, the last time using his arms to vault him up towards the shoulders of the man on his right. He noticed at he flipped that both had gotten into combat stances, ready to take him down. But it was not enough. Will's legs latched onto the man's neck, and using his momentum, he performed a full frontal body scissors that succeeded in breaking the man's neck, throwing his body a good two meters away, and making Will land on his feet. However, he had no time to react, as arms were suddenly around his throat, and he could not breathe. He struggled and succeeded in turning the man around so that their backs faced the platform wall and Will faced where he had entered from. He backed the man up with elbows and stomps, all the while looking at Poe, and Rex, the pair finishing off the remaining attackers. As Will and the man backed up, Will scanned the stormtroopers, many were watching Rex and Poe, and others were watching him. To his right he noticed the black vest of Trix, and quickly looked at the man's helmet. He was staring directly at him, but something about Trix was off, his arm was slightly quaking. Looking down, Will saw why, his gloved right hand was clutched tightly in a fist. Will did not know why, but it somehow gave him further encouragement, as he felt the man's back finally hit the durasteel wall of the podium. He stomped on the man's feet, hearing the toes break and the man cry out in pain. The grip on his neck subsided and he sucked in breaths of air, but not before elbowing his attacker in the ribs. The man stumbled back, and Will turned to face him. Kicking the man in the crotch the man clutched his jewels and knelt down in pain, and Will took the opportunity. He had brought along portable grappling spike concealed on his wrist under his jacket. He stepped on the groaning man's back and shot it, the hook gripping the rail on the platform above. He hit the button and in a second he found himself on the same level as Phasma, and Hux. Looking around he saw that everyone up here stared at him too, the black clothed officers, the snowtrooper sergeants, Hux, and Phasma. He looked for Vlosh, and soon found him. The man stepped down off the platform and stepped towards him. Will simply stood, staring as the man advanced.

"I am surprised you got past my men." Vlosh said as he came to stand near him.

Will turned his head and looked at the aftermath of the fight. Rex and Will were each fighting one last attacker each; the rest lay motionless on the ground. He then turned his head back to face Vlosh, and smiled. "Your men? I think you mean the men you paid to do your dirty work, since you are not capable yourself. I am surprised you are not wearing diapers."

"Enough!" Vlosh roared in anger. "That will be the last time you humiliate me."

He charged Will and swung at him. Will blocked the blow and moved to hit the man in the chest, ducking his head down to strike the blow, however, he found himself face to face with a blaster barrel. Still in mid motion, he saw Vlosh's finger squeeze the trigger, and he tried to move his head to the side. It was not enough. The bolt forced him to stagger back until his back hit the guardrail. He gasped in pain, and felt the left side of his head throb in pain. Then he felt liquid spill its way down his head and onto his cheeks. It had only grazed him. He was thankful that he dodged the blast, but knew he had to make a move, no doubt Vlosh would continue to fire at him. He charged Vlosh with all of his strength and grabbed the man's blaster and twisted, hearing the cracking of his wrist bones. The man howled in pain, and staggered back. Will swept his legs out from under him, and Vlosh crumpled to the ground. Without hesitation he reached into his hidden coat pocket and removed his switch blade. He then knelt down behind Vlosh and put the man in a hold, then with no words, dug the blade into the man's right eye socket. His squirming ceased instantly and Will knew he was dead. He withdrew his blade and stood up, letting the former major's body drop. The man's brain and eye tissue coating his small blade. With a scoff of disgust he knelt down and used the Vlosh's coat to wipe his blade clean. He then stood up once more and breathed a great sigh of relief.

It was over, at least he hoped so.


	18. Bruised and Bloodied

Chapter 17: Bruised and Bloodied

Will looked around at the shocked faces of the First Order members around him. He was shocked that no one, stormtrooper or officer, had even drawn their blaster since the moment they had arrived. It was all very unusual, and Will wondered why, but right now, he had other things to worry about. Mainly, that the grazing blaster shot had left a bloody streak on the right side of his head, and it was bleeding badly. He brought his left hand up and ran his gloved fingers over the wound, the stinging sensation making him cringe, and he brought his hand away and looked at it. The dark brown glove was stained black with blood, red droplets dripped from the glove onto the ground below. He wiped his hand across his forehead once more, trying to keep the blood out of his eye. He looked down at the ground and saw small drops of blood seemingly everywhere. He looked over and saw a growing pool of blood beneath the still body of Major Vlosh. Will looked up and found himself staring at the mask of a snowtrooper sergeant who stood three meters away. He turned his body around and again found himself staring at another trooper, Captain Phasma. The chrome clad stormtrooper had turned her whole body to face him, as did many other officers. He looked down and saw that her fist was clenched tightly, and her body was completely still, except her cape- which swayed in the light breeze.

Will wondered what Phasma was thinking. Perhaps she was thinking of new ways to kill him, or capture him. Now that he thought about Phasma, his mind seemed to be a mass of confusion. His force sensitivity gave a feeling of recognition at Phasma's force signature, while his logical mind told him that the woman was pure evil. Will sighed, another thing he would have to think about later.

He replaced his switchblade in his inner breast pocket, and took a couple steps towards the railing. Phasma's helmet, like many stormtroopers below, tracked his every movement.

He looked over to General Hux, the man glared at him. Will knew he was the cause, but could not figure out the reason. Perhaps the good general was still angry about Will humiliating him during the civil war, or the fact that he had just killed one of his subordinates. Whatever the reason, Will did not want to stick around to find out.

He turned his head away from the eyes of the First Order officers, and looked over the railing. It was a long drop from where he stood down to the ground below. The ground that was littered with the still bodies clad in black robes, and where two of Will's comrades stood proudly among the carnage. Having made up his mind, he turned back, and fixed Phasma with a stare. Her emotionless lenses met his green eyes, and the never broke contact. To Will, it felt as if it were forever, he felt like he could almost see the woman's sparkling eyes beneath the metallic helmet. He backed up until he felt his lower back bump the rail, and with eyes still fixed on Phasma's mask, he leaned back, and went over the edge. Having done the maneuver once before, he performed a half flip and landed on his two feet on the ground below. The impact was not light, and it jarred his body, making his head wound throb even more.

He landed facing the direction he had fallen from, his back towards the endless rows of stormtroopers, Rex, and Poe. He turned around, his two companions' faces paled at the sight of him. He slowly began to walk towards them, passing the bodies of their unknown attackers. Poe and Rex both briskly walked towards him until they stood in front of him.

Rex put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay Will?" He asked with worry in his voice.

Will nodded. "I am okay, I got a little cooked but a bit of bacta can heal this easily."

Rex smiled and Poe snorted at his remark of being cooked.

"Well it is nice to see the injury has not damaged your sense of humor." Poe said.

"Indeed." Will said, looking at the two, "are you guys ready to depart?" He asked them in a quiet voice, not wanting to be overheard by the all encompassing enemy.

"Yeah, General Organa still want to see us?" Poe asked.

Will nodded, all three sighing, there was nothing worse in the galaxy than facing an angry Leia Organa. They were in for it.

Will again ran his glove over his wound to keep the blood from filling his left eye, it was then he remembered something else. His peaked cap was missing; he ran the same hand over his head and felt his hair. He looked around, his head moving left, right, in front, and behind; occasionally he met the stare of a stormtrooper, until he found his green hat. It was lying by the body of the attacker he had super kicked early on in the fight. Walking past Rex and Poe he went over to the body and knelt down to retrieve his fallen cap. When he stood up he found himself meeting the gazes and glares of no more than fifteen enemy troopers. He stared backed at them until he broke their collective eye contact by turning on his heel and making his way back to Poe and Rex. As he walked back towards the two, he found the figure of Whip. The white pauldroned stormtrooper was doing what Will expected, staring at him. Will met his gaze as he walked, their eye contact broken when Poe and Rex stepped in between their line of sight.

"Ready?" Poe asked.

"Yes," Will said as he put on his peaked cap. They began to walk away, leaving the bodies and destruction in their wake.

As they walked, Will turned to Rex and Poe, " Halt for a moment, I have something to say."

Poe and Rex stopped and looked at Will, Rex nodding for Will to go ahead.

Will turned around to face the platform where Hux, Phasma and the other officers still stood. "Apologies for the mess, General Hux." He said before turning around and marching on, both Rex and Poe in step beside them.

The trio once again made their way back the path they had come, Will passing by the familiar figures of Sergeants Nines and Krax, gazing at the two as he passed by. They soon exited the entire parade grounds altogether and made it back to the hanger bay. Will sat in his seat silently as the engines powered up and the shuttle lifted out of the bay. Soon after, they successfully breached the atmosphere of Starkiller Base, and jumped to light speed, the coordinates set for D'Qar and a very angry Leia Organa. As Will sat in his seat, he silently contemplated the events that had just unfolded. One thought rose above all others. How in the hell had they survived?

* * *

Phasma watched the three Resistance officers depart. Her body nearly sagged in relief. Much like before, she could not explain any of it. When she saw Anders begin the fight, she inwardly smiled whenever he and his companions downed one of Vlosh's hired guns. In fact, she took pleasure in it, and wished she herself was down there, with Anders, throwing punches, jabs, and kicks. She knew that the three enemy officers defeating a cohort over four times their size utterly humiliated Vlosh, and she loved every second of it. When the boy went after Vlosh himself, outwardly Phasma maintained her composure, but inside, she was giddy. She very nearly laughed when Anders finally ended Vlosh's life with a knife in his eye socket.

However the fight had seen Phasma experience gut wrenching fear and terror.

"Troops will disband!" She snapped out of her thoughts hearing the order. Looking in front of her she saw Hux, standing with his hands behind his back, and he did not look happy. Phasma then noticed that the thousands upon thousands of stormtroopers, officers, and pilots began to orderly make their way from the parade grounds, exiting in platoons. She and the other officers stood at attention while the troops made their way out, waiting a full twenty minutes until it was just them left.

Then without a word, General Hux stormed off the platform and into the base, Phasma, and the other officers taking it as their queue to take their leave. She went straight to her quarters, entering briskly, she sat down on her bunk, not bothering to remove any of her armor. She had too much to think about; too much was going through her mind. The confrontation between Anders and Vlosh had brought up feelings she expected never to feel again.

She could not explain it, why would she feel such feelings for someone she had never known before a couple of months ago? When she saw Anders get blasted in the head, she was sure that he was dead. That realization brought about emotions that she had not felt in many years; fear, terror, and rage. Fear and terror rocketed through her when she saw that Vlosh had a blaster in his coat, her terror skyrocketing when the blaster discharged and the young colonel stumbled back. It was not terror for her or her comrades; it was her fear for Anders; fear that the boy would be hit, and terror when she thought he was going to die. After Vlosh had taken the shot, anger, no, rage had welled up within her very being; a rage that consumed her, a rage that she could barely keep in check. She thought further, and concluded that it was not her consciousness that made her feel such rage. It was something deeper, something primeval, instinctual, that made her so upset at the sight of the injured Colonel Anders. She scoffed lightly, thinking of the emotions she had experienced, they were not the emotions of a soldier; they were the emotions of a guardian, a parent, who worried for their charge or child.

She smiled, pleased with herself that she had been the reason that Anders and his two companions were not dead. She knew Anders, and she knew that he would most likely appear unannounced to answer Vlosh's challenge. Because of this, she had ordered all of her men to restrain themselves, following up the order with physical punishment if it was disobeyed. She knew her men would follow it, but it was another matter entirely to convince her superiors, most notably, Hux, that this order of her's was to be followed. She had pressed the man, and to her delight, he had caved. Perhaps it was the small nudge she had given his mind through the force; a practice that a rouge Jedi padawan had taught her many years ago. But whatever the reason, Hux agreed with her decision, and reinforced the order that his men were not to escalate hostilities when the three Resistance officers were to show up. Even without realizing it, Phasma had already acted on her unknown concern for Anders, she sighed in disgust; if this kept up she would be more like a worrying parent than an First Order officer by the end of the day.

On that thought, interest ignited in her mind, where did Anders come from? She knew Anders was from her birth planet of Semia- they had that much in common- but who was he related to? Her research had turned up that he was an orphan, but named neither guardians nor biological parents. The Galactic DNA Database would give her the answers she sought. Rising from the bunk, still fully clad in her armor, and marched out towards the medical bay. As she walked, she thought, if she had to explain this to her superiors, she would not know what to say. Having such knowledge would not prove beneficial for the First Order, but it would satisfy her personal curiosity.

She marched into the medical bay, the two large doors sliding open. She spotted a large cabinet against a wall; contained within it were hundreds of empty test tubes. Not giving any heed to anyone around her, she marched over to the cabinet and opened it. She was just reaching her gauntleted hand inside to grasp a test tube when a voice stopped her.

"Captain, what can we do for you today?" The voice of a droid spoke from beside her.

She did not bother to face the droid, and grasped onto the test tube her eyes were on. "Nothing, leave me." She snapped at the droid, irritated that she had been interrupted. She had a fleeting thought of the droid telling her superiors about what she was doing, but the thought quickly passed. She was the captain of the First Order's army; no one would question her motives.

With the test tube in hand, she closed the cabinet and stalked out of the medical wing, her destination was the platform she had stood on during Hux's speech. Finding the correct door, she palmed the code and it slip open, the cool wind lapping at her cape as she stepped out into the open air. Walking over to where she had stood, she looked down, using her increased optics in her helmet to aid her. Droplets, many small droplets of blood were scattered over a small area of the platform; the area where Vlosh and Anders had fought. She found a large pool of blood that she deduced was from Vlosh, the bodies having already been removed. She knelt down and opened the test tube. Taking the swab that was contained inside, she moved the absorbing tip over a number of blood droplets; the tip quickly turning from off white to bright red. Satisfied with her collection, she put the swab back in the tube and tightened the lid. She stood up and looked around, making sure she was not being watched. Satisfied with her scan of the area, she walked back to the door she had come, and stepped inside. She made her way towards the medical wing, intent on running the DNA as soon as possible. However, a beeping on her belt put an end to those thoughts. She grasped the comm from her belt and answered it.

"What?" She said tersely, not happy with her mission being interrupted.

"Captain Phasma, General Hux has ordered that you oversee close quarters combat training for groups twenty four and thirty six." A voice spoke over the comm unit.

"I will be there as soon as possible." She clicked the comm off and clipped it to her belt, she was unhappy, but she would just have to wait to find out Anders parentage. She knew better than to disobey an order from Hux. She opened an empty pouch on her belt, and gingerly placed the fragile test tube inside. With the fragile tube secured, she marched towards the training rooms.

* * *

He had spent the entire trip from Starkiller Base tending to his head wound. He was shocked when he felt the thud of the ship landing and even more shocked when he saw the green foliage of D'Qar outside the cockpit windows. Having applied bacta patches to his head, and covered them with bandages, Will was confident the wound would heal in no time.

He steeled himself for the meeting with General Leia ahead. The three of them walked down the path from the landing pad, and walked through the entrance that Will had become so familiar with in the past weeks. They had just entered the door when they were stopped by the imposing form of Organa standing before them, the woman's right foot tapping on the floor with impatience.

"You three have a lot of explaining to do." Organa said, as she turned on her heel and walked down the hall, behind her, Will, Rex, and Poe followed. She led them to her office, the door sliding shut once all were inside; then Leia Organa went off.

"What the hell were you three thinking!?" She roared in anger, slamming her fists down onto her desk.

"General Organa.." Poe started, until he was cut off.

"Shut it commander! I have no need to hear your excuses! You three are stupid, no, beyond stupid, for you to do such a thing! You walked into Starkiller Base by yourselves, surrounded by the enemy, to answer a challenge!?" Leia's face was now beet red.

"Yes." Will admitted, knowing that an excuse would only further increase Organa's rage.

"Why?" She said, her voice rose, "I thought you three were some of my most competent officers, why would you do such a stupid thing?"

"Because it needed to be done." Rex said vaguely.

"Why? You could have gotten yourselves killed!" Organa steamed.

Will sighed, "Because if we did not answer the challenge, it would only further show to the galaxy that the Resistance is a joke; that the Resistance would not dare a confrontation when challenged."

"So it was a public relations stunt then?" Organa pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side.

"Partly." Will replied.

"What does that mean?" Organa said, her voice dark.

"There was also a personal reason that caused us to accept the challenge." Will said honestly.

"And what reason was that?" Leia asked, her head still cocked.

"Personal satisfaction." Rex said, Leia turning her head to face the major. " Major Vlosh had been a thorn in our sides for a good deal of time; his egomaniacal attitude made the thought of ending him almost too good to pass up."

Leia was silent, and that worried all three of them. Then she spoke, her words slow and calculating. "So let me get this straight, you three, walked into Starkiller Base to answer a challenge, because you felt it would be a good public relations opportunity for our cause, and because you could end a man who annoyed you?"

Will, Rex, and Poe stood motionless before each nodding their head.

Leia scoffed, "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard; you three a perhaps some of the most reckless people I have ever met." She shook her head in frustration; she then stared at each of them, her eyes boring into their souls.

"Dismissed." She said with a wave of her hand, and boy, they could not get out of there fast enough.

* * *

Hux stood in the main building on base, looking out over the windswept landscape outside. All around him officers conversed, the chatter in the room masking his rising ire. He was furious, perhaps more than he had ever been in his life. What had happened today humiliated him. His subordinate, Vlosh, had lost a duel to three Resistance officers, one of them being the retched Anders. Even with superior numbers, Vlosh had still lost. It looked bad, for both him, and the First Order. He would make Anders and his merry little band pay for what they had done, with this super weapon of his, he would destroy the Republic.

His thoughts then turned to Captain Phasma. The image of the chrome armored trooper caused his ire to rise even further. How could he have let her convince him that his troops were not to fire on Anders and the other two? She had told him it would surely invite scorn for the First Order, and cause potential rebellions on planets under their control. He had weighed the costs and benefits, and soon agreed with the captain's analysis. But now, for the life of him, he could not understand why he had done so. If would have been so easy just to have his troops blast the three as they landed, or as they walked the parade grounds. The Resistance would not know what had happened; all evidence would have been destroyed. But no, now that was not to be. He knew this would fall back on him, and he was expecting a call from Snoke any minute now. He scowled in anger and rage.

Anders had managed to humiliate him once again.

 _It will be the last time he ever does._ He thought with a dark smile.

 **Well that's the end of that. I'm a little on the fence with some parts of this chapter, particularly the order Phasma gave for her troops to stand down. I will review this in the coming days and may change it, but for now it stays. FYI, I will be going back to university in a day, my winter break is ending and I will soon be thrown back into the hair tearing scheme of things. Once I start classes, my work on this story will be irregular to say the least, updates will be non frequent and most likely far between. Due to academics, I will not be able to work regularly on this story until summer vacation begins in early May. I do apologize for that. I don't intend to drop this story anytime soon, so expect regular updates in a few months!**

 **-LittleP**


	19. Politics, Pure and Simple

Chapter 18: Politics, Pure and Simple

Will had just gotten back to his quarters when his comm beeped. Reaching down, he plucked the device from his belt and activated it.

"Colonel Anders, General Organa would like to see you in her office." A curt voice, one that Will did not recognize, spoke over the channel.

"I will be there as soon as possible." Will said before switching off the channel, he sighed. He had not even been back for five minutes before Organa called him back; he feared he was going to receive even more harsh words from the woman. Turning on his heel, Will made his way towards Leia Organa's office.

He walked down that hallway in trepidation, he had just been chewed out by the angered general, and did not know if he could maintain his composure if she were to do so again. Will was never one to cry, but man, Leia Organa made him want to sob.

He arrived at the heavy durasteel door that led to her office. It slid open just as he was about to knock, revealing a spacious office, with a desk at the center, flanked by three chairs. General Organa stood behind the desk; hands on her hips, watching at Anders came in. Will stopped at one of the three chairs before Organa's desk, the woman still eying him closely.

"You wanted to see me, general?" Will asked submissively, his eyes fixed on the desk.

"Indeed, Colonel Anders, have a seat." Organa motioned to the chair he stood before, and Will quickly sat down.

There was a tense silence for a brief moment, before Organa began to speak. "While I am still upset about what you have done, my feelings will not supersede military matters." Leia leaned over the desk and stared through Will's soul. "I have another mission for you to undertake."

Will maintained eye contact with Organa, "What is your orders ma'am?"

"You will go to the Yavin system with a platoon of your troops; reports indicate that the First Order may be attempting to establish a base on the planet of Yavin Four." Organa told Anders.

"The former base of the Rebellion?" Will asked quizzically, his right eyebrow raised.

"One in the same." Organa replied with a nod.

"But if the First Order is attempting to establish a base on Yavin Four, why am I only being sent with a small platoon and not my entire command?" Will asked, not understanding why he was being sent with such a few number of troops.

" Since the fall of the Empire, Yavin Four was abandoned by the Rebellion. It has since become a hiding place for criminal gangs and pirates. Sending you with an entire regiment will no doubt attract a lot of unwanted attention, and I have the distinct feeling that the First Order feels the same way." Organa nodded to herself.

Will nodded in understanding. " I see, what would my objectives be?"

Organa suddenly turned away from the desk, and face the large window that looked out over the lush landscape below. She spoke with her back to Will. "You are to prevent the First Order from establishing any type of outpost on the planet. Once you have neutralized the enemy, you will wait until reinforcements arrive; only then can Yavin Four be totally under our control."

"What about the priates and gangs?" Will said, stating the obvious.

"Defend yourself if you have to, otherwise, you are not to engage. The criminals and gangs will be dealt with only once reinforcements have arrived planet side." Leia told him, her back still turned.

Will knew a flaw in a plan when he heard one, and knew that Organa would never agree to such details unless under pressure. "Leia, with all due respect, this plan seems flawed." He spoke softly, not wanting to further agitate the general that he had already done that day.

Organa sighed loudly and turned around to face him. "You are correct; this plan is not of my own thinking."

"Why are you giving me the green light on a plan you know is flawed, General Organa?" Will said, confusion in his voice.

"Politics, pure and simple." Organa's voice was colored with disgust.

"What do you mean?" Will asked.

"While your previous engagements have technically been victories, Chancellor Villecham and the Senate believe they were insignificant, and have been offset by defeats else ware. They have put pressure on not only me, but other generals as well, to get them a victory." Organa's mouth was filled with contempt and anger.

Will could not help but be angry, he had seen the damage to foolish politicians could do to military operations. "Well, the chancellor and the senate can zip their lips. Politicians should not be making military decisions, they could destroy us."

Organa's features softened. "Will, I have known you for awhile, I know how you feel about such matters, and to tell you the truth, I feel the same way. But I cannot simply dismiss what the government wants, or I risk being relieved of my command. That is why I called you in here, I am hoping that you can salvage a terrible plan and turn it into a miracle."

Will felt deeply honored, "I will try the best I can." He stood up from his seat.

Leia smiled, "That is all that I ask of you."

Will gave her a large smile before he turned on his heels and made his way towards the exit.

"William." Organa said in a motherly tone causing Will to stop in his tracks. He turned around and faced his general.

"Yes, Leia?" He said, not bothering with titles.

" Have you felt anything further in the Force?" Leia asked him as she moved from behind the desk towards him; she stopped less than an arm's length from him.

"Not much, but I still get the same feeling from Captain Phasma. It is strange to say the least." Will looked Leia in her hazel brown eyes.

"How so?" She asked in a light tone of voice.

" Well, it feels as though that our force signatures are connected, they have a similarity. I cannot explain it fully, but I feel as though I have met Phasma before all of this." He gestured at the room around him.

"Do you think you crossed paths with her on Semia?" Leia asked, confusion etched on her face.

Will shook his head, "I do not think so, but I am not entirely sure. To tell you the truth, it seems like Phasma and I are coming to greatly respect and even admire one another."

"Admire? Please do explain yourself." Leia said, a joking tone to her voice.

Will smiled and gave a small laugh. "Well, I certainly am not enamored by her, but during our encounter with Vlosh at Starkiller base, it felt as though she was rooting us on; through the Force at least."

"Really?" Leia asked, slightly incredulous as to why an enemy officer of such a rank would throw their support behind a Resistance officer.

Will nodded, "I think so, but I am not entirely sure."

"I understand. Your Force abilities will take time to mature and develop, I am sure once you encounter the captain again you will get a clearer picture." Leia told Anders.

Will gave her a smile, "For my sake I hope so."

Leia laughed, and Will joined her, the pair chuckling and smiling.

"Well William, good luck on your mission, and stay in close contact." Leia put her hand on his shoulder and gave an affectionate squeeze.

Will nodded. "I will General Organa."

Leia removed her hands from his shoulders, and Will spun on his heels and walked out.

They were greatly worried about the coming mission.

* * *

Phasma roamed the halls of _The Finalizer_ during one of her daily sweeps of her troops, ensuring that they were going about their duties. She had not allowed herself to think about the boy, Anders, and had gone to great lengths to keep the young man out of her mind; occupying every waking minute with her duties and assigned tasks. Yet, she could not escape the world of dreams, whenever her head hit the pillow each night, her mind was assailed with images of the young colonel, and their past encounters. This morning, she stalked down the hall in a menacing mood; her body language was stiff, troopers and officers jumping out of her way, she was a walking bomb of pent up rage. She had had a particularly bad dream the night before, one that both angered her and dare she think it, scared her. It was very brief, but the dream left a lasting impact.

* * *

 _She stood in a clearing, her men surrounding her. The grass and plants at her feet were green but covered in frost. To her front stood a man in the black uniform of a First Order officer, his condensing breath visible in the cool morning sunlight. In front of him stood a group of four individuals with their backs facing her, they were digging, the mound of dirt growing beside them. The black clad officer held up his hand, "Stop." He said in a sly voice, a voice that Phasma instantly recognized. Turning around, she was greeted to the face of Lieutenant Hagg, or former lieutenant Hagg, the boy now wore the rank of major._

" _Phasma, order yourself and three of your men into a single file line." Hagg said with a dark smile before turning around the face the unknown individuals once more. All four had stopped digging; they stood facing away from Phasma and her men, panting from exertion._

" _Stay where you are." Hagg said before turning to Phasma, who had lined up herself, Sergeant Nines, Squad Leader Whip, and a trooper by the Plugs, all four stood in silence._

 _Hagg was smiling, and that made Phasma very uncomfortable. "Captain, ready yourselves." Hagg said causing Phasma to scrunch her eyes beneath her visor. What did Hagg mean? Suddenly she got the answer, Hagg reached over and ripped the blaster from Whips gloved hands and reconfigured it, the weapon clicking and whirring, before he handed it back to the trooper._

 _Phasma stood in surprise, she knew that sound. Hagg had reconfigured the blaster to fire at close range she realized in both surprise and excitement. She had always loved using her blaster, and now she would get a chance to test out her skills._

 _The prisoners remained with their back turned, however, the one in the center, who stood directly in front of her stiffened at the sound. Then he turned around and Phasma's excitement turned into shock._

" _Turn back around you resistance pest!" Hagg yelled in range, his voice resounding through the small meadow._

" _I am sorry major, but I am afraid I cannot do that," William Anders said as he faced Hagg, Phasma, and the company of stormtroopers. With that, the other three turned around, revealing faces that Phasma had seen before. Howe, Rogers, and Dryse now faced the enemy, following the actions of their commander._

 _Hagg laughed at the sight. "If you wish to watch your demise, that is fine by me, by the end of this day, you four will be lying in this field cold and dead."_

 _Phasma, through her shock filled mind, heard fabric creaking to her left. Turning her helmet, she viewed one of her heavytroopers, Trix, his hands were balled into fists and shaking uncontrollably._

 _She turned her helmet back to Anders, the boy looked weary and exhausted, but she saw the spark of defiance in his eyes._

" _You may kill us here, Hagg, but the Resistance will go on. We all knew the risks when we joined the ranks." Anders said as his blue green eyes scanned the mass of white armor before him._

 _Hagg smiled, and then faced the four lined up before him. "Ready!" He shouted, Phasma tried to force herself not to follow the command, but her hands had automatically reconfigured her blaster._

" _Aim!"_

 _Phasma clenched her arm muscles in an attempt to stop herself from leveling the blaster, but like before, her brain was all too willing to comply. She found her eyes looking down the sights of her blaster, her aim focused on the form of William Anders standing in front of her._

" _Any last words?" Hagg said with a huff of amusement._

 _Though her sights, Phasma saw Anders square his shoulders and breathe deeply. " I regret that I have only one life to give for the cause of freedom."_

 _The saying shook Phasma, and for the first time in her new life, she felt like she was about to cry. But, she had no time to think further._

" _FIRE!"_

 _All four pulled their triggers, and Phasma watched as her bolt streaked towards the young man she had grown to respect, even if he was the enemy._

* * *

The dream had unsettled her greatly, and she felt extremely restless afterwards. She had just completed the check of the main barracks aboard the ship when her comm beeped.

"Sir?" She answered, knowing who it was.

" Meet me on the bridge, Phasma." The voice of General Hux ordered before the call was cut.

She strode to the bridge, her cape billowing behind her.

Arriving on the bridge, Phasma expected to see Hux at a holotable, surrounded by other officers, but she found him staring out one of the large windows, alone.

She walked over and stood beside him wordlessly.

"I am ordering you on another mission." He said, not bothering to face her. "Tonight, a destroyer will rendezvous with us; I am sending you, in command of the destroyer, to the Yavin system. The system has become of great tactical importance to the Resistance and to us as well, especially after our loss of Shiri. You are to secure one of the three habitable moons orbiting Yavin Prime, and hold steady until a squadron arrives to complete our takeover of the system." Hux faced Phasma, the general had to crane his head to look at Phasma, the woman a number of inches taller. "The Yavin system has become a hideout for roving bands of pirates and gangs, you are to destroy any and all that get in your way. Do you understand, Captain Phasma?"

"Yes sir." Phasma said in a stern tone.

Hux nodded his head, "Good, your ship leaves tomorrow morning."

Phasma took that as her queue that the conversation was over, snapping a salute to Hux she marched off the bridge.

* * *

William Anders looked as a platoon of his troops boarded the small shuttle. Among those he was taking on this outing, was Lieutenant Rogers, and Private Dryse. With his troops securely on board, he turned around the face Howe, his second in command.

"Rex, do keep the fort down, and try not to get invaded." He said playfully to his friend.

Rex smiled, "No promises Will, be careful." Rex said, seriousness creeping into his tone.

Will nodded, "I will be back within the week." He gave a quick farewell wave to his friend and then strode on board the spacious shuttle and entered his small, but well stocked quarters.

The decks vibrated as the shuttle rocketed off D'Qar and jumped into hyperspace, its destination, Yavin Four.

* * *

Phasma secured her equipment aboard the new vessel, and walked to the bridge.

She stared out the windows in silence; the looming mass of _The Finalizer_ took up her entire view.

"Ma'am, what are your orders?" The voice of a technician asked behind her.

"Set coordinates." She said in her commanding military voice.

"To where, ma'am?" The technician asked her.

Her voice boomed on the quiet bridge. "The Yavin System."

 **There we have it, another chapter under the belt. I had some time off of school due to inclement weather, and had some extra time on my hands. Hope you enjoy, and stay warm!**

 **-LittleP**


	20. Anomoly

Chapter 19: Anomaly

Will sat in the small chair, in his small quarters, on the small ship; roaring through hyperspace towards Yavin Four. He passed the time by thinking about current events, and writing in his diary.

 _ **12.15.33ABY**_

 _ **To myself,**_

 _ **I know not why I am being sent on this mission, but being a good soldier, I should not question it. Key word is 'should'; I do not care if I break protocol, when this is through I will be running my mouth to the Command Council. I know they hate me, most anyway, I know because many of those generals resisted my reinstatement to colonel, and by giving me a task that would be just as easily accomplished if SpecOps soldiers were used. Of course I know the point they are trying to make, we are a higher rank than you, and you will do what we tell you. They can shove their egos up their kriffing behinds. Well, that is enough complaining for now. What will we find on Yavin Four? Pirates? Gangs? Death? Victory? Stormtroopers? Captain Phasma? Ewoks? Now that would be something, ewoks…. It would be just like the Rebellion on Endor three decades ago; man would I love to see that. However, my credits are on pirates and stormtroopers.**_

 _ **W. Anders**_

A knock sounded on the flimsy door just as he put his writing utensil down, "Enter."

The door slid open and revealed Lieutenant Rogers, the woman having recently returned to duty after recovering from her injuries. "Sir, the cockpit wants you."

"They always do, Rogers." Will said smiling. Standing up from the small desk, he followed the petit woman, his friend, to the cockpit.

He entered the enclosed space, the white of hyperspace greeting his view. "You two wanted to see me?" Will asked the pilot and co pilot.

"Yes, sir," the pilot spoke, "we will be reverting in a little over an hour."

Will nodded, "Very well." He turned to Rogers, "tell the boys and girls to get ready. I do not know what we will encounter once we revert, but I want the troops ready for combat."

Rogers nodded and walked out of the cockpit. Will was just about to follow her, when the co pilot stopped him.

"Combat, sir? Are your men equipped to fight in space?" The man asked in confusion.

"Nope." Will said simply with a smile.

The co pilot craned his head around to face Will, his face showing clear confusion. "Then how do you expect to fight?"

"Easy," Will said, "if we are attacked in space, it will be up to you two to get us out of such a mess. However, if we are disabled and crash land onto the surface of Yavin Four, we will engage."

"You do not have much confidence in us." The pilot said with a smirk.

"Nonsense, of course I do!" Will said, feigning offense. "I just like to have scenarios in my head in case the unexpected occurs."

"Sure." The co pilot said, his once confused face filled with a smile.

Will snorted before giving the two men his farewell and exiting the cockpit. He went to check up on his men. He found his troops in the small crew compartment, the men and women had their equipment ready, and their blasters charged. They were ready for a fight.

* * *

She felt as though she had been standing for a very long time, blinking her eyes, she brought up the internal HUD, and checked the time. She had been standing on the bridge for almost eleven hours straight. Phasma begrudgingly recognized that even though she was a commander in the First Order, she was still human. Her knees ached, and she thought her calves were going numb. Deciding that going back to her quarters to sit would be better than fainting on the bridge, she took her leave.

Arriving at her quarters, she entered the spacious room and sat down on her bunk, as usual, she was still fully armored. Her joints ached and cracked as she lowered herself onto the bunk. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief once the pressure was off of her legs, and the blood could flow freely once more. For a long while she sat in silence. Her mind was unusually blank, no thoughts or images assailed her mind like they normally would. She quickly realized she was bored, her hand moving to her metallic helmet. She realized in bemusement that she had unknowingly moved to twirl a lock of her blond hair in her fingers, something she had done when she was just a child, but now the helmet prevented such actions; and her hair was much too short to twirl. She gave a huff of displeasure, she would love for her hair to be longer, but such long hair would be problematic when she moved to put her helmet on her head.

Her unusually feminine thoughts dissolved when she remembered something; using her right hand, she felt around her belt, touching the various pouches, searching for something. When she reached the right, she clicked it open, and removed the object inside. She held the small vial in front of her, the blood on the inside was a dried dark red, almost brown. Her mind suddenly came alive with pictures of brown hair, green eyes, and a smiling face. She heard the man's voice replay in her head, like a damaged holo-recording, "Captain Phasma," the voice said respectively.

Colonel Anders, her mind never strayed far away from the man, no matter how hard she tried. She was initially infuriated by her inability to throw the man out of her thoughts, but now she simply accepted it as a part of her reality; the young boy affected her like no other. She stared at the vial again, her helmet reflecting off of the fragile glass, her black lenses staring back at her. She realized that in her business that past number of weeks, she had forgotten about the vial she carried. The vial of blood she recovered from Starkiller Base after those three Resistance officers accepted Vlosh's request to duel, William Anders' blood. She got to her feet and moved towards the door, her next stop, the medical wing. She was going to run every sort of test she could using the resource she held in her gauntleted hands, who were his parents? How force sensitive is he? Those were just some of the burning questions that she wanted answered, and she would soon find out. She had very nearly reached the door, when her comm beeped. She stopped less than half a foot from the door, and activated the device.

"What?" She growled.

"Captain, we are reverting in less than five minutes." A trembling voice spoke over the line.

"Understood," she sighed, it appeared that this would have to wait, again.

She replaced the vial in her belt pouch, grabbed her blaster rifle, and headed to the bridge.

* * *

She arrived just as the reversion was taking place; the blue of hyperspace gave way to a giant gas giant, Yavin Prime. A small moon orbited in front of it, bluish green in appearance, Yavin Four.

"Prepare a shuttle, and inform a battalion of my men that they are to be ready to depart in five minutes." She said as she took one last look at the moon before making her way to the hanger.

In the hanger she was greeted by her men, organized into an orderly formation; before them a large transport shuttle waited to take them to the surface.

She scanned over the troops, recognizing many of them, Squad Leader Whip, Sergeant Nines, and Trix.

"Board!" She ordered, Nines took over and within a minute all had boarded and taken their places. Phasma followed, the ramp closing behind her. Soon the shuttle had blasted out of the hanger and headed towards the moon.

She took a spot near the cockpit, and stood in silence. They had not been flying for more than three minutes when one of the pilots called to her.

"Captain, ma'am, you need to come look at this." One of them said.

"What is it?" She said with a huff as she entered the small cockpit, not understanding what could possibly be amiss.

One of them pointed out the window to her left; she followed his arm and peered out through the clear pane. At first she could not see anything, but after commanding her lenses to magnify and reduce glare, she saw what the problem was.

It was a Resistance ship!

Her force sense exploded, but she gave it no heed. She gave the order to fire, and the pilots did not question the command. Soon the First Order shuttle spat out bolt after bolt, aiming towards the Resistance shuttle.

* * *

"What the hell is going on!?" Will screamed as the small shuttle yawed and shook.

"We are under attack!" One of the pilots up front yelled.

"Well fires back damn it!" He shouted, not understanding why they had not returned fire. If they kept this up, they would be blown into space dust.

The small shuttle fired back, but it was too late. A bolt impacted the rear of the Resistance ship, nearly throwing Will off of his feet. Soon afterwards, beeps and alarms began to sound, and Will knew it was not good.

"What just happened!?" He yelled over the deafening alarms.

"We had an anomaly!" One of the pilots replied.

"The rear stabilizer is gone." The other added.

"You call that an anomaly!?" Will said incredulously, "we can't even get the ship under control if that is gone!"

He looked out the window of the cockpit, the First Order ship was still firing on them. He turned to the copilot, "Aim what we have at them, if we are going down, and let's take them with us."

"Yes, sir." The man said with both fright and confidence.

Their small shuttle opened up with everything it had, most shots missed, but one bolt impacted the First Order shuttle, hitting the exact spot where they were hit, the stabilizer.

Will only saw the enemy ship begin its uncontrollable fall towards the surface before he looked towards his front, out the window, and realized that the ground was also rushing up to meet him.

He stared in silence as the ground got forever closer, the trees and foliage growing in size as they fell through the sky.

Will fervently wished that the sound of alarms and screams of terror would not be the last thing he ever heard. He had wanted to die in peace, surrounded by the sound of the soft breeze, the rustle of leaves, and the sound of chirping animals; he did not want to die like this.

 **I know Nines was not a sergeant, and is now known to be the stormtrooper that nearly beat Finn senseless. However, I wrote his part before the film was released, and at this point, it would be too much work to change it. Nines will remain a sergeant in this story.**

 **-LittleP**


	21. Working Together

Chapter 20: Working Together

The sounds of screams, and alarms suddenly turned into the screech and groans of durasteel as it tore, and the shrieks of sentients as they were tossed around like rag dolls.

Will did not remember anything until his eyes cracked open and he saw blurry blue sky above him, however, the sky was darkened by black smoke, smoke which stung his eyes. He noticed Sergeant Jabal Tali, one of the regiment's medics was hovering over him.

"Ah, finally awake." She said in a happy tone, a smile on her face.

"How long was I out?" Will asked as he closed his eyes once more.

"Less than ten minutes, you are a very stupid man Will!" She scolded him, " you did not even bother to wear a seat restraint." He attempted to sit up, but fell back to the earth in a groan of pain. His lower back hurt, but he knew that he had just banged it, it was a minor injury seeing as he thrown clear of the crash, and he thanked the Force for such a miraculous escape. He used his limited force training to take away the pain; the only problem was that he did not know how. He decided to half ass it and just think happy thoughts, and to his astonishment, it seemed to work. Taking a deep breath he once more tried to sit up, and this time he was able to with a lingering pain, but nothing near as bad as the previous attempt.

Sitting up he looked over his body, checking himself for any major wounds, other than a sore back, and a small scrape on his cheek, he was just dirtied from impacting the earth. Looking around he tried to locate his men, his eyes went to the small transport shuttle they had been riding in; it was relatively intact for such an impact, and Will hoped that meant that all of his troops had escaped major harm, however, the fact that he had been apparently thrown from the vehicle upon impact sent a cold feeling to him.

Standing to his feet, he once more checked himself over, his clothes were still on, his hat was missing, and his belt, along with blaster and hunting knife still snugly around his waist. To his surprise his dark red Semian officers sash was also still around his waist, the color standing out in contrast to his dirt covered dark green uniform.

He scanned the scene around him once more; he began to hear cries for help coming from inside of the smoking and crumpled shuttle, but could not see anyone. He urged his stunned body to move, and slowly he began to make his way towards the direction of the cries, his pace increasing with every step he took.

He ran towards the shuttle, the smoke growing heavy and thick as he neared the wreckage. As he came upon the shuttle he noticed that the wings and stabilizers had been sheared off in the crash, the crew compartment looked relatively intact, although it was crumpled, gouged, and crushed in some places. He rounded the fuselage and found some of the other survivors. Lieutenant Rogers, clutching her arm and her face bloodied, kneeled over one of Will's troops as she tended to his wounds. Other troops were also tending to the wounded. Will walked over to his trusted lieutenant; the woman noticed him and gave him a nod, nothing more.

"What is our status Rogers?" He said in a weary voice.

"All of our men accounted for; the pilots sustained injuries, but they are alive." Rogers' face was a mask of relief.

"Are they still in the cockpit?" Will asked.

Wordlessly Rogers shook her head.

Will sighed. "Where are they?"

"They are helping out with some of the wounded." Rogers said before she looked down once more upon the man she was aiding.

"Any serious injuries?" Will questioned, hoping there were none.

"Dryse." Rogers said in a sad tone.

"What about Dryse?" Will said with worry, the young private was only two years his junior

"He sustained a head injury when we impacted the surface; he has not woken up or moved his extremities since the crash." Rogers said sadness still in her voice as she expected the worst.

"He's not going to die on my watch, the lad still has a long life to live… we all do." Will said in a soft voice. He quickly walked away from Rogers intent on finding the young private. He walked past many injured soldiers, some lying on the soft ground, others leaning against trees, and others simply standing in place. He spotted a large group surrounding a prone body; Sergeant Tali kneeled over the inert forum. Guessing it was Dryse, Will hurriedly walked over to the group, upon seeing their commander; his troops parted and allowed Will to get a scope of the damage. Dryse's head was bloodied, a large gash traversing his entire forehead, his features were still and relaxed, and if Will did not see his chest rising and falling he would have guessed the private was dead.

He knelt down and looked to Tali, the woman's freckled face wore a worried look, and Will did not like that one bit.

"What are you thinking Tali?" Will asked the medic.

Tali looked up and blinked before responding. "To give you an honest answer, I do not know. He has not woken or moved a muscle since he hit his head during the crash."

Will nodded knowing that it was the most he would be able to get out of his medic right now. "Stay with him, if anything changes, and I mean anything, notify me at once. "

Tali nodded but said nothing. Will was anxious, anxious that he did not know if Private Dryse was going to survive. At any other time, such anxiousness would have caused him to fiddle with his thumbs; however, he used his time to go check on his other troops.

* * *

Phasma had checked and rechecked herself many times over as she tried to find any injuries she may have sustained as a result of the rough landing.

Rough landing was an understatement.

The shuttle had been ripped in two, she had seen three of her men ejected from the craft when it shattered, and their lifeless bodies were found a good distance from the crash site.

She now walked around the crash site, smoke blanketing the area as the forward section of the shuttle burned. Surveying it along with getting a head count of her men. Even in such a situation, Captain Phasma still maintained her gruff composure. Her once shiny chrome armor was now speckled and smeared with dirt, and scratched from the impact. Her once solid black facing cape was spotted with dots of mud and dirt.

After getting an accurate headcount of her men, she walked over to her second in command, Sergeant Nines. His orange pauldron was partly singed after he had pulled an injured trooper from the burning shuttle. His pale white armor was scuffed in places, and dirt covered a good portion of his legs. Nevertheless, he snapped to a salute as Phasma walked up to him.

"Sir!" He said in a collected voice.

"Sergeant, status report." Phasma's voice boomed out.

" Four dead, seven wounded, the rest are able bodied." Nines listed off the statistics in an almost droid like voice.

"What about our weapons?" Phasma asked, noticing the blaster strapped to Nines' thigh. Her chrome gauntleted hand moved down to feel the butt of her blaster strapped to her thigh armor, ensuring that it had not moved.

" All of our weapons are accounted for." Nines said, he stood in silence, waiting for his commander to respond.

"Good, continue to treat the wounded, station men around the perimeter of the crash site. Our fall from the sky may have alerted any gangs in the area." Phasma ordered the sergeant.

"Yes sir!" Nines said, moving away to carry out Phasma's orders.

As Nines gathered men up, Phasma once again began to walk around to check on her men.

Every trooper she walked past stiffed up and saluted her. She came upon a heavytrooper she knew well, the vest wearing man limping as he walked around.

"Trix, it is advisable that you not put more weight on your leg more than necessary." She said, sounding more like a teacher scolding a student than a captain of the First Order.

Trix had stopped walking around and turned to face Phasma. "Of course, captain." He said in a curt tone of voice, although Phasma could hear the pain coloring his words.

She walked past Trix, but stayed close by, however she loathed admitting it, Trix was one of her most steadfast and dependable troops, she did not want to see him injured again.

She came upon a group of four soldiers standing a few meters away from the hobbling heavytrooper. A flametrooper and three stormtroopers, one wore the black pauldron of a squad leader. "Spark, is your equipment undamaged?" Phasma asked the flametrooper.

"Sir, the tank sustained heavy damage during the crash and my nozzle was bent as well. It appears that I will be using a blaster for the duration until we receive reinforcements." A distinctly feminine voice sounded from the helmet.

Phasma sighed in frustration. Their comm units were jammed the moment they hit the ground, the whole planet was dark; apparently, the criminals on planet decided that jamming all comm signals was a step in their favor. Without any way to communicate to the destroyer, they would have to wait it out until their silence caused suspicion among the First Order. When that happened, reinforcements and recovery teams would finally be sent to pick them up. Until then, they were on their own.

Thirty men was not the largest group she had been trapped with, but they were on a planet surrounded by hostiles, which made surviving all the more difficult.

She then turned her gaze to the black pauldron wearing stormtrooper. "Whip, take Spark and check the shuttle for any potential classified equipment, if we are attacked and the shuttle is looted; I do not want such valuable equipment to fall into enemy hands."

"Yes sir." Whip said in his usual rough voice, and he and Sparks walked towards the wreckage.

Phasma had turned around, just about to talk to the remaining stormtrooper when an explosion ripped through the site, followed by the sounds of blaster fire. As she and her men scrambled to take cover and return fire, Phasma thought that they were being attacked by members of the Resistance shuttle that had followed them down to the surface. It was not until she blasted a scruffy looking alien that she knew that they were being attacked by a gang.

They were outmatched and she knew it, she and the men around her gradually stepped back, giving up more ground as the gangers advanced ever closer. Phasma used her quick thinking and changed her position, moving out from behind a fallen tree stump, she raced over towards a dry creek bed. In it she found Whip, Nines, Sparks, Trix and three other troopers.

All of them fired at the oncoming gang members, but their position seemed to give them an uncanny advantage. The gang members did not seem to notice them as they fired from behind the deep gully, even as their bolts dropped the criminals like bugs.

It was then that Phasma noticed something peculiar. The bolts spewing from the gangers' blasters was not the bright colored red or blue bolts used to kill, these shot blue rings towards her troopers.

"What are they shooting stun bolts for!?" Sparks yelled over the sound of battle.

Phasma wordlessly shook her head; she did not have an explanation for such actions. Why would these criminals not want to kill her troops? It made no sense.

She saw her men dropping like rocks, knocked unconscious by the stun bolts impacting their bodies, Phasma and the other seven kept up a blazing fire until Phasma ordered them to halt. While she wanted nothing more than to kill every last one of these criminals, she knew that if she were to get herself and the rest of her men off planet, they would have to evade capture.

She watched in mute anger as the gangers gathered up the incapacitated troopers and cleared the area. When Phasma scanned the area with her internal HUD and was confident that no more criminals were in the area, she and the others came out from the gully. Now she had to find a way to keep them alive.

Boy this was going to be an experience.

* * *

Will, Tali, an inert Private Dryse, and three others were at the shores of a small pond when they heard the sounds of fighting coming from the direction of the crashed shuttle. Determined to keep Dryse alive, Tali decided to move the still unconscious Dryse away from the crash site and to a spot of peace and quiet. Will allowed the move, not knowing if it was militarily sound, but he would do anything to see the young private open his eyes. He had followed Tali as she moved Dryse, she had told him that she had heard stories of the apparent medicinal healing purposes of Yavin's water. Will did not know if he believed it, but it got his morale up.

They were located less than two minutes away from the crash site and the main group. When the sounds of fighting suddenly reached his ears, Will wasted no time in running back towards the crashed shuttle, ordering all but one of the soldiers to follow him, the other two were to remain at Dryse's side. It took only two minutes, but when he and the other soldier got to the scene they were stopped in their tracks. A group of criminals were loading the bodies of his troops onto a small transport shuttle, before the ramp closed; Will was able to get a good look at one of his troops. The man was still breathing, and did not appear to be harmed in any way.

 _Stunned? What in sith hell? Why would they stun them?_ Will thought in surprise. He was rocked out of his thoughts by the shuttle lifting off the ground and blasting away.

Will and the other soldier were left alone, seven of his men had been taken, and he would get them back. He would not stop, no matter how long, or how far, until he had each and every one of them back safe and sound.

He walked back to the pond, and found the four he had left still in the same spot. Walking up he was given quite the surprise.

Dryse's eyes were open, and the young lad was giving Will a small smile.

"Sir." Dryse said in a horse voice.

"Private Dryse, nice to see you in the land of the living." Will said, his face and body sagging with relief.

"Thank you sir." Dryse said.

Will looked at Tali. "We have a problem."

"What?" The woman said with worry.

"A group of criminals attacked and stunned the others, all of them have been taken, destination, unknown." Will noticed that Tali and Dryse's faces quickly turned from looks of happiness to looks of worry.

"We going after them?" Dryse asked.

"Of course." Will replied with a tone of finality.

 **Well here's another chapter. I apologize for any errors in spelling, I am dead tired as I write this.**

 **-LittleP**


	22. Working Together II

Chapter 21: Working Together II

Will looked at the small group before him, Dryse still lying in Tali's arms, checking over the small number of troops he still had left. The three other troopers consisted of Corporal Guinness; a short and rough looking private by the name of Alcez; and a small dark skinned petit woman, Lieutenant Dowdall. Will looked around and noted with both panic and disgust that one of his closest confidants, Rogers, was missing, he guessed she was stunned and taken by the band of criminals.

"Why would they stun them?" Dryse's hoarse voice sounded from Tali's arms.

Will had a couple of ideas, the underground body trade was alive and well throughout the galaxy, good organs fetched a hefty amount of credits; slaves were also valuable, whether used for labor or pleasure, and the demand for sentients in bondage showed no signs of letting up. Despite all these possibilities, Will replied, "I do not have the slightest idea." Will reasoned that he was sparing Dryse the horror of those possibilities, but perhaps he too did not want to think about it.

He occupied his mind with matters at hand, and scanned the foliage around them, eyes peering into the dense brush. He turned to Tali, Dryse, and the others. "We have to get up and moving, it is apparent we have overstayed our welcome." All five nodded in agreement.

It took a full minute to Dryse to get to his feet, supported all the while by Tali's steady arms, once to his feet the young boy nearly collapsed due to dizziness, but Tali was there to keep him upright. Once Will was confident that Dryse would not face plant into the mud on, he gave the man his blaster rifle and began moving in the direction of the crash site.

"Sir, would it not be prudent going back to the wreck will the enemy all around us?" Corporal Guinness sounded from behind Will's shoulder.

Will turned back to the young non-commissioned officer. "In any other case Corporal Guinness you would be correct. However, the crash took out any communications we may have with any of our ships off planet, seeing as our personal comms have a limited range, and the fact that the High Command will only send reinforcements once they are sure this planet is under our direct control, we need anything and everything we can get. I hope we can find spare ammo packs, rations, and some camping equipment other than what we already have." Will looked over his small band of fighters; all had most of their regulation gear already on them, which Will thought was miraculous. Everyone had at least one weapon, a fixed blade, and spare ammo packs. Five, including Will himself, excluding Dryse, had Resistance issued camping equipment, a backpack containing three days rations, water purifiers, a spare pair of undergarments, a compact collapsible tent, and a blanket. Will wanted to head back to the wreck not only to find more supplies and equipment, but also his heavy dark green overcoat that he had brought on this mission in case the temperature dipped below freezing. It would provide him warmth to himself or one of his other troops, and it could also be useful camouflage.

The small troupe made their way back to the smoldering wreck, picking through the debris they found anything and everything that could be of use. Once the wreck was picked clean of anything useful, Will simply stood in the middle of the crash site. He did not know what to do, his end game was getting his captured soldiers back, but he had no idea what his plan of action should be. He thought intensely for a few moments and then turned to his remaining troops. "Did anyone see which way the gang went?"

There was silence for a few moments before Private Alcez replied. "I think I saw them moving that way," he pointed his calloused finger in the direction he had thought the criminals had fled.

Will followed the man's finger and found his gaze blocked by thick trees and dense underbrush. He sighed; this was not going to be easy. "We go that way then, it's the only piece of information we have." He began to move into the dense forest, behind him, the remaining soldiers reluctantly followed.

As he walked, Will could only think of one thing. _Why did the navigational compass have to be destroyed_?

* * *

Phasma and the remaining members of her platoon had organized themselves and had salvaged any equipment they could find amongst the wreckage. Out of her platoon of twenty five soldiers, twelve had been taken by the gang of criminals while seven had been killed in either the crash or the ensuing firefight. She now had only seven troopers with her. Scanning the wilderness around her, her internal HUD informed her that there were no sentient life forms nearby. She knew they had to get out of the area. Turning back to her remaining troopers Phasma scanned over the group, all with the exception of Trix, who was injured, appeared to be uninjured.

"We will vacate the area at once. Grab what you can, we need to move fast before that gang returns." Phasma ordered her soldiers, her voice stern and steady despite the recent events.

"Sir, what about our comms or emergency beacons?" Sparks asked her captain.

"Our beacons are destroyed," Phasma paused in momentarily, "and our comms do not have the capabilities for long range communication. Attempting to contact anyone on the destroyer above is futile."

Silence greeted her response.

"Step off." Phasma said as she began walking out of the crash site, behind her the troopers followed closely behind. Trix, supported by Nines brought up the rear of the small group.

* * *

Phasma and her troops had been walking for around an hour. The compass in her HUD informed her that they were travelling southeast, to where, Phasma did not know. She did not know where she was going or why, but she knew they had to get away from the crash site. If the explosion and smoke did not attract unwanted attention, the attack on her platoon showed that the enemy knew of their location, it would only be a matter of time before the gangs returned.

She had taken point, and was scanning the forests surrounding her on all sides, her chrome armor reflecting the green of the surrounding forest. Herself and the seven other troopers were walking toward a wooded rise in the land, heavy scrub and brush blanketing the hillside. She planned to use the summit of the hill as a vantage point, hoping that she could get a better view of the landscape that she now found herself in.

Reaching the crest of the hill, Phasma had a clear view of the landscape for many clicks around. She enhanced the magnification of her visor and scanned the the surrounding landscape. Two distinctive columns of smoke rose from the forest, and Phasma knew that one of those smoke columns belonged to her crashed shuttle, and she guessed the other column of smoke belonged to the Resistance shuttle. However, past the veil of black smoke, she thought she saw something. Enhancing her magnification further, she thought she spotted a distinctive looking object peaking above the green canopy. She squinted her eyes, and it appeared that the object was a pole with a piece of material on its tip. Although the distance was such, her HUD measured the distance to be around eight clicks. She knew from her experience in the First Order, such displays were common amongst criminal gangs to display their symbols. It was all Phasma had to go on, not much, but it was something.

She turned her head away from the scene and was preparing to address her troops. It was then she thought she caught movement to her right. She instantly activated her helmet's HUD and her initial thoughts were confirmed. Her HUD showed numerous humanoid shapes in the forest, the figures were around 200 meters away, and were at the bottom of the hill she and her troops now occupied. They figures were moving in their direction, and Phasma was not going to wait to find out what their intentions were. Using a series of hand signals, Phasma instructed her troops to ready for battle. The white clad troopers instantly assumed battle positions and readied their blasters. Even and injured Trix was wielding a blaster pistol.

Her force senses were going off, and she felt a familiar presence, but she brushed it off. Those feelings could only distract her from the coming fight.

They would fight to the last.

* * *

Will and his troupe had been walking for what seemed like an eternity. He was tired, and his feet hurt. It felt like they had been walking in circles, and without any compass or navigational aid, that very well could be true. He had found a small hill which he hoped would give him some sense of direction. As the small group began their ascent of the hill, Will's force senses began to tingle; he thought he felt a familiar presence, one that he had felt multiple times before. As they neared the top Will spotted the glint of reflective armor through the trees, his suspicions were confirmed. Beside him, Corporal Guinness had also spotted the chrome armor, as well as the white armor he had known so well.

"Stormtroopers!" He shouted, raising his blaster rifle, the others doing the same.

Will knew he had a split second to react, and he hoped this decision would not get him killed. "WAIT!" He screamed out into the wilderness, "hold your fire!" He gave Guinness a shove, the man stumbled on his feet, and his aim faltered.

For many seconds silence reigned throughout the trees. Will gulped and spoke once more. "Captain Phasma?"

Silence answered Will's question until a stern but feminine voice responded. "Colonel Anders." It was not a question, but a statement of fact.

Will gave himself a grim smile, before shaking his head. He turned back to his group, "Put your rifles on safety, and do not make any sudden movements. Follow me." He slowly began ascending the hill once more.

As he walked up, the chrome armored captain became visible, followed by a group of seven white clad stormtroopers. Will walked slowly towards the enemy group, all of the First Order troops still had their blasters out and ready to use.

As Will peered over at the group of troopers, he instantly recognized Sergeant Nines, with his distinctive orange pauldron, and Trix, who appeared to be injured. Looking further, he recognized the black pauldron wearing squad leader as Whip. He gave them one last glance before scanning his eyes over the four unknown troopers. As he walked towards Captain Phasma Will was confident he heard those unknown troopers squeezing down on their triggers.

Phasma averted her gaze from him towards the troopers. "At ease, put your rifles on safety. I will not have another firefight."

"But sir…." An unknown trooper tried to argue.

"Silence, do as I say." Phasma ordered the trooper in a commanding tone. She then turned her gaze back to Will as he stopped in front of her.

"Colonel Anders, it appears you have survived." Phasma stated the obvious.

Will's tired eyes lit up and a small smile adorned his face. "So it seems Captain Phasma. It appears we both crashed on this green sphere."

"Indeed." Phasma replied, her voice not betraying the small smile hidden beneath her helmet. For such a highly ranked officer, and one that she respected, his childish tone was a refreshing change to the present situation.

" Were you attacked by criminals?" Will asked the chrome captain.

"Yes, most of my men were taken by those thugs." Phasma replied with venom in her voice.

" Same here." Will said, " now I know we are supposed to be fighting each other, but given our present situation I believe that changes things."

"Indeed it does, and I know what you are thinking." Phasma replied, and Will could diffidently sense a smile under that bucket.

"Sir, what do you mean?" One of the unknown stormtroopers asked Phasma.

"We work together." The chrome captain simply replied.

 **Well there we have it. I apologize for not positing in so long, a combination of school and now a new job this summer have caused me to be busy. But now I am settled in, expect chapters more regularly. Again, I am writing this a 2 in the morning, and I apologize in advance for spelling errors. I have proofread this chapter, although it was with tired eyes, so I there are any spelling errors I apologize. I will fix those tomorrow morning.**

 **LittleP**


	23. The Canopies

Chapter 22: The Canopies

After Phasma's proclamation of working together, silence rebounded on the hilltop. White clad stormtroopers and light green clad troops, First Order and Resistance, stared each other down. Blaster rifles had been lowered and put on safety, but that did nothing to reduce the tension permeating the green wilderness. Will's eyes darted to each stormtrooper in front of him, as he looked into their emotionless helmets, he wondered what they must have been thinking. No doubt they were nervous, his limited force sensitivity told him that, but it was what he was not feeling that had him curious. Did these stormtroopers feel hatred like Resistance soldiers did? A hatred of anything and anyone related to the First Order? He knew that First Order stormtroopers had been taken from their families very early in life, and had been raised with the ideals of the First Order instilled in their minds. Were they taught to feel emotions like hatred, or simply to carry out orders?

"Colonel Anders", Phasma's metallic voice broke him away from his thoughts. He turned to face the chrome armored trooper who stood over him.

"Yes Captain Phasma?" Will replied, staring into the captain's visors.

"Now that we have successfully come to terms with our situation, what do you propose to do about it? I say we follow those criminals and butcher them." Phasma's last words were tinged with dark glee.

Will was slightly put off by Phasma's last sentence and took a moment to respond. "Well captain, I think we should follow those gangs and get our soldiers back. If bloodshed arises during the process, then so be it." Will knew that such a lax stance on violence put him at odds with many in the Resistance who abdicated negotiation before bloodshed. In Will's mind, striking before the enemy knew where you were was what kept you alive; he had much experience with such a notion during the Semian Civil War. Secondly, not every adversary wants to negotiate, Will guessed these criminal gangs could be included under this point. While negotiation was useful at times, this was not one of them. The only way Will and Phasma would get their men back was if they struck when the enemy least expected it. That meant one thing, an ambush.

Phasma was the first to move in many minutes, she turned on her heels and looked back out over the horizon. Will followed, stepping up next to her, he squinted his tired eyes at the forest below. Taking out his microbinoculars from his inner coat pocket, he scanned the horizon. In the distance, he could make out a string of hills he guessed was a mountain range. The microbinoculars calculated the distance to the mountains at around ten clicks away. Will brought the microbinoculars away from his face and looked over his shoulder; everyone seemed to be staring at him and Phasma. Will gave a small smile, what a sight they must be, two enemies standing on a rocky hillstop looking into the distance, if Will was in any other situation, he would have struck a pose.

Turning his head back once more, Will found Phasma still looking towards the mountains in the distance, she appeared to be just blankly staring in the distance, but Will knew she had her visor lenses zoomed and focused on the mountains, she was no doubt analyzing the situation.

Will took his gaze off the chrome armored trooper and once again looked out over the lush green landscape. For many clicks around, all he could see was the green tops of trees, there were no clearings anywhere. The sight brought back many unsettling images of a battle he had been through during the civil war; the battle of The Canopies. Will mentally shook himself from the thoughts, and resumed his gazing. Beside him Phasma turned her helmet to look at him.

"Colonel." She said with formality.

" Captain?" He replied with the same formality.

"I think we head in the direction of those mountains." Phasma told him, every word spoken in her metallic accented voice.

"I agree, towards the hills we go." Will quipped.

"Indeed." Phasma replied as she stepped away from the rocky outcrop and back towards her troops.

Will followed, going back to his own soldiers.

"What is the plan sir?" Tali asked him within seconds of his return. Will looked at her then behind his right shoulder to Phasma and her troopers just a few steps away. The captain was telling her soldiers what the plan of action was. Will turned back to Tali, "Well Tali, we will be travelling ten clicks to a mountain range in that direction." He followed the statement up with a finger pointing in said direction.

"Ten clicks?" Dryse said in a nearly whiny tone.

Will looked at the young lad with a smile, "Indeed private, this is the army after all."

The young private merely snorted.

Once the conversation was over Will got down to business. "I want everyone to ensure that they have rations, ammo, med kits, camp equipment, and bayonets."

Will's trusted men and women checked themselves over ensuring they had the needed equipment and supplies. Behind him, Phasma had finished telling her men what the plan was, the First Order soldiers now were watching the small group of Resistance fighters.

" At your ready, Colonel Anders." Phasma said.

Will turned around, "We're all set Captain Phasma."

"Excellent, we step off at once." Phasma said a she prepared to move. "We will organize in a column, two abreast, I will be on point. Colonel Anders, you will bring up the rear."

"As you wish." Will said in a gentle tone.

"Squad will march into line." Phasma ordered her troops, who did as they were told. After Phasma's troops had been organized, Will did the same, ordering his small group to form directly behind the First Order troopers. Resistance soldiers, stood in the same line as First Order soldiers, enemies that under these unusual circumstances would have to rely on each other to survive.

The group had set off down the hill in the direction of the mountains Will and Phasma had observed off in the distance.

* * *

The walk, or march, had been quiet so far, although they had only been on the move for less man fifteen minutes. Will was currently in the back of the column, his head turning constantly, eyes scanning for any potential threats. Will stopped scanning the trees momentarily and took time to look straight ahead, at the small column in front of him. His troops blended in well against the green background, their light green uniforms making them stand out just slightly, but if positioned properly, they would be nearly invisible. The stormtroopers on the other hand were very noticeable. Their stark white armor gleamed in the sunlight that perforated the tree canopy, and the bright white stood out against the green of the surrounding landscape. Phasma's armor stood out a little less so, her chrome armor reflecting the colors around her, even with her dark cape she was still easy to spot. Will knew that if they were to have any chance of ambushing or surprising these criminals that would have to change.

Will made a mental note to bring up the issue later, but for now he resumed his scanning. As he scanned the surrounding trees and underbrush, Will was reminded of the civil war. How could he not be, he had fought in a wilderness much like this one, there were very little differences from then to now. Except the fact they he was now wearing green instead of grey, his style of hat had changed, the woods were not on fire this time, and he did not have his comrade's brains all over him.

The memory of that horrid scene was what stuck with him most. It epitomized the civil war, a war that people throughout the galaxy had tried to frame as a minor disagreement, like a fistfight or a small skirmish. In reality it was much different; the battle of The Canopies, in the second year of the war, had caused 26,000 casualties on both sides in two days of brutal fighting. Will had went into the battle wearing the clean and crisp gray uniform of a major, when the fighting was finished, bits of brain matter coated the now pink hued clothing.

"Sir? Colonel?" A voice was saying to him.

He snapped out of his thoughts and took hold of the situation. The column was a fair distance in front of him, he was so affected by the thoughts going through his head that he had stopped in his tracks. All eyes were on him, Phasma had apparently moved from her position at the head of the column down towards him. Taking his eyes off her, he turned to see Private Dryse staring at him in concern.

"Excuse me private, I was caught up in some memories." Will said as a quick apology, though he raised his voice so that it could be heard by everyone. He was not just apologizing to the young private, but to everyone, it had to be quite unnerving to see one of their leaders in such a mental state. He began to walk back to the column, all eyes still trained on him.

"What kind of memories, sir?" Dryse asked him.

"Ones that haunt me." Was all Will said as he rejoined the column.

As he took up his spot at the rear of the column, Phasma approached him. She gave no heed to Corporal Guinness who glared at her and tensed up as she approached his commander.

Phasma stepped well into Will's personal space, but he seemed not to care. Phasma did not say anything for a few moments, rather her helmet moved up and down his frame and stilled when it came to his eyes. Will stared back, seeing his reflection in her helmet lenses.

"Colonel Anders, are you in need of assistance?" Phasma spoke to him.

Will mentally smiled; it was probably Phasma's way of asking if he was alright.

"I am fine Captain Phasma, just a moment of reflection is all." He answered her; he hoped the answer satisfied her.

"See to it that such reflection does not occur during combat." Phasma told him in a stern tone, with a reprimanding tone like he was a private. Will gave Phasma a quick nod, not bothering to argue that he outranked her; he knew such tension would be bad for everyone.

Phasma walked back to her position, "March," She ordered, and once more the column was moving.

Will resumed his actions before his memories swamped him, scanning the woods for any threats.

They marched for at least three more hours, the narrow dirt path they were on had turned into an overgrown mess, and their formation became fragmented as they pushed through the dense underbrush.

After what seemed like an eternity, they reached a small clearing surrounded by trees on all sides, their large braches hanging over the opening in the underbrush. Phasma halted in the middle and waited as the rest of the column filed into the small clearing, which was just big enough to hold everyone.

"We make camp here tonight. I want three to four individuals on sentry duty at all times. We will rotate every three hours. Colonel Anders and I will organize sentry groups." Phasma told everyone, after the announcement, she went to her troops and began dividing up sentry duty. " Trix, and FN- 2861, you two are on first. Nines, Ax, you both are on second. Spark, and FN-2230, you are up third. Whip and I will be on fourth."

Every trooper gave Phasma a "Yes, sir!"

Phasma nodded, "Good, I will go see what Colonel Anders has done." With that she stalked over to Anders and his small group.

Will was talking with his troupe when Phasma approached.

"Colonel Anders, I hope you have organized your sentry duties?" She asked, coming to a stop a few feet from Will.

Will turned to face her and took a few steps forward. "Indeed I have Captain Phasma. Lieutenant Tali and Private Dryse will be a part of the first group. Guinness and Alcez will be on the second group, Lieutenant Dowdall will be in the third sentry group, and I will be in the fourth."

"Excellent," Phasma said as she nodded.

The sun had begun to set; the first sentry group was out patrolling the perimeter. Everyone else had made camp. The First Order soldiers had simply sat down in the bare earth. Some had removed their helmets in order to munch on some ration bars, and Will was a little surprised that one of the troopers, a flametrooper by the looks of it, was a female. She had fair skin, and brown hair. Some of the other troopers had also removed their helmets; Sergeant Nines had removed his helmet, and for the first time, Will saw the face of the man behind the mask. His face was angular, blue eyes, and he had short blonde hair. Will felt something from his troupe and looked over to see both Dowdall and Tali staring at the First Order sergeant.

Will smiled, the pair obviously thought Nines was an attractive man, and Will could see why they thought so. Despite their situation he never passed up the opportunity to joke or tease his troops, and this would be no different.

" You can ask for his comm number later." He laughed when both of his lieutenants turned and glared at him. He shook his head in mock exasperation and moved to an unclaimed spot between both groups. He removed his equipment pack from his back, and began rummaging through it. He heard heavy footfalls behind him but did not bother to turn around, that was until said feet came into view. The boots were chrome plated, and that only meant one person.

"Yes, captain?" He said as he looked up at the helmet that towered over him, Phasma blocked out the setting sun.

"Colonel Anders, may I have a word with you?" She asked, although Will knew it was not a question.

"Of course." Will said as he stood up.

Phasma looked around, Will did as well, both groups, First Order and Resistance, were engaged in conversations, Phasma was confident no one would listen in.

"What happened today while we marched?" She asked in a soft tone Will had never heard before. Perhaps Phasma used the tone to keep her voice level to a minimum, or she was genuinely concerned. Will could not see Phasma being concerned for him, despite the respect one had for the other, they were still enemies.

"I just had some unpleasant memories resurface." Will said in an equally soft and quiet tone, looking down at the ground because he felt just a little bit ashamed of himself.

"Why?" Phasma asked him.

Will knew he could not skip by with a half truth, he knew Phasma was force sensitive, she would know if he was telling anything but the truth. "The forest. During the Semian Civil War I was involved in a battle that took place in a dense forest much like this, the scenes I saw I will never forget." Will's soft voice cracked slightly as emotion began to rise.

"What did you see?" Phasma asked as quietly and softy as she could.

Will was momentarily taken aback. _She could not be asking for me to describe it to her, could she?_ He thought in confusion.

"Captain Phasma, you ask me to do something that I do not want to. Revisiting these memories will only keep me from focusing on the mission at hand." He said in a soft tone, he was not angry or annoyed; he was just telling her the truth.

He heard Phasma sigh behind the mask. "Colonel Anders, perhaps by telling me about your experience, you can relieve this burden of carrying this experience on your shoulders. I imagine you have not told anybody else."

Will simply nodded, what Phasma said was true, and perhaps telling someone would help. It felt crazy, he was about to tell an individual who is one of the greatest enemies of the First Order his deepest and darkest secrets. _I guess there is a first for everything_. He thought in slight amusement.

He took a deep breath and readied himself to tell his story. Phasma scanned the two groups once more to ensure that they were not being eavesdropped upon.

" I remember like it was yesterday, it was Primeday of the fifteenth day of the sixth month in the year 31ABY. The SEA had decided to strike to the west of the capital city of the SFU, Crippensville. We in the SEA were excited to beat the SFU once more on the field of battle. We entered a swath of forest that dominates the western portion of the country, it was known as the .." Will was cut off.

" Wildlands." Phasma responded.

Will looked up surprised. "Indeed, Captain Phasma. Have you visited Semia before?"

Phasma was quiet for a moment before replying. "In another life I knew the planet well. Get back to your memories." She ordered Will, but it was not so much of an order, Will thought, just an attempt to get the focus away from her.

 _It appears that I am not the only one with secrets_. Will thought, nevertheless continuing his story.

"We met the SFU on the field of battle, fighting in woods is never good, but it is what we had. And so we fought, hundreds of men and women falling onto the twigs, leaves, and grass beneath them. It was a horrid sight. I was just a young major, commanding a company of my regiment. We were positioned behind some earthworks, shooting at SFU soldiers who had begun to dig just a few yards opposite to us. The woods were so dense troops were getting disoriented, we were firing at each other at point blank range, bayonets and blaster butts were used more frequently that blaster bolts. Corpses stacked up, sometimes five deep, the wounded stuck beneath their lifeless comrades, clawing their way free. And that was just the first day. The second day proved to be much worse. We were still in our original position from the day earlier, fighting against some of the same troops. However, the fighting that morning was especially gruesome. During the night, the SFU had gotten supplies from the capital, and in those supplies were grenades, high explosive grenades. Our forces were constantly low on supplies; we were just a fledgling movement facing a longstanding central government. So as the fighting raged on the second day, we were getting pelted with these grenades. One of my comrades, a captain, was standing on near the trenches encouraging the troops, bolts whizzing past him. I stood just behind the main line, coordinating troop movement, and evaluating the lines for any weaknesses. The captain was just ten feet in front of me, he had just shouted to some of our troops to his right who were beginning to break. At that exact moment, a grenade landed on the wall of the parapet, bounced up to the captain's face, and exploded. The blast blew his face apart. I was suddenly coated with brains and blood. I had brains in my eyes, my nose, on my tunic, and in my mouth." Will stopped and put his head in his hands, the images were just too much.

"You must continue, William." Phasma said softly.

Will's heavy breathes hitched and he looked up at Phasma in slight shock. Did she just call him by his first name? She had never done that before, but it had a reassuring affect on Will, and he continued his story.

"The sounds of battle around me faded, and all I could focus on was vomiting. I must have sat there for an hour simply retching. Even after our forces had rallied and pushed the enemy out of their trenches opposite us, I remained where I was trying to throw up. I did not work, no matter how many times I cried, how many times I bathed, or how many times I guzzled strong drinks, the taste, sight, and feel of his brain matter is something I will never forget." Will finally finished his painful memory.

He was greeted with silence, and looked up a Phasma, the chrome armored trooper simply stared at him. He then took a look around, and was somewhat terrified by what he saw. The sentries had switched out, and everyone who remained in camp was quiet. No doubt that had heard most or all of what he said.

"How do you feel?" Phasma asked in the soft voice that was so unbecoming of her. It was obvious that she did not care about the unwanted attention.

Will took a moment to think before he replied. He closed his eyes, and to his amazement, he did feel better. It felt as if a weight had been taken off of his shoulders, and he could breathe easier. The experience would always be with him, but now it did not seem like it would consume him. " I feel better." He replied.

"Good." Phasma said in a sincere tone of voice. "We are up next for sentry duty."

That surprised Will, he looked at the sky, it was pitch black, and the only light shone from the small fires lit by each group. He had started telling Phasma his story just as the sun was setting, and a couple of hours had passed. However, it seemed like only a minute to Will.

Phasma walked over and relieved her two sentries on duty. Will took the queue and found Lieutenant Dowdall as she patrolled the perimeter.

"You are relieved, Dowdall. You should get some rest." He said.

"Thank you, sir." She replied before marching over the other Resistance soldiers.

Will resumed her route, patrolling around the camp. Will, Phasma, and Whip patrolled in circles around the camp, each circle progressively further away, expanding like rings away from the clearing.

He had been on duty for an hour, passing Whip for the twenty fifth time when the black pauldron wearing stormtrooper stopped him.

"Sir, may I have a word?" Whip asked in his crisp accent.

" You may, Whip." Will replied as he looked at the stormtrooper.

"Was the battle that ferocious?" Whip asked the question in a reserved tone, not knowing how Anders would react.

Will sighed before replying. "It was horrible. Both sides lost 26,000 casualties over both days, during the second day's fighting, 7,000 men and women fell during a twenty minute period of intense combat."

"Kriff." Was all Whip said in response. "I am sorry you had to go through that sir."

Will gave the man a grim smile. "It is a burden we all must take on as soldiers. I knew I would see some terrible scenes when I enlisted in the Semian Equality Army."

" That is too true, sir." Whip said quietly before he moved on.

* * *

Will was on the outermost ring, walking through the dark forest. He was walking along, nearing Captain Phasma, as she patrolled on the innermost ring around the camp. They both halted in their footsteps when they heard a twig snap in the dark forest.

Will stilled his breathing, and Phasma seemed frozen, until she began turning her head back and forth, scanning the forest in infrared.

Will suddenly heard another twig snap, this time a lot closer to him. He looked to Phasma who was staring in his direction, when she suddenly raised her blaster up.

Will did not have time to think, he suddenly felt a wire or rope around his throat, cutting off his air flow. He sputtered and coughed as he was dragged into the darkness.

"Anders!" Phasma yelled as she saw him disappear into the forest. She then took off in the direction she last saw him. Behind her, the troops in the camp scrambled to their feet and readied their blasters.

Phasma saw the infrared signatures of two individuals as they struggled. She knew one of them was Will.

Will had managed to get the wire off of his neck, allowing him to take big gasping breaths. He then twisted the arm that held onto his shoulder, until he heard a crack. He did not give the assailant time to scream, instead flipping him over and withdrawing his fixed blade knife. He stabbed down, once, twice, three, four, and five times. He was just about to bring the bloodied knife down for a sixth blow when Phasma ran up to him.

"Colonel Anders, are you hurt?" She asked, Will stilled his hand and dropped the knife. He took a moment to look over himself. Nothing seemed too bad, his neck felt a little sore but that was about it. Looking down, he was slightly horrified by what he saw. He body beneath him had five puncture wounds, all in the stomach and chest. Green blood oozed from the wounds, Will's hands and knife were covered in the stuff. The man was most likely a member of the gang that had taken his troops.

"Never better, Captain Phasma." He replied.

"Good, no doubt there will be more bloodshed before we rescue our troops." She replied with the faintest hint of glee.

How true that statement would be.

 **Sorry for the long wait. My place of residence this summer doesn't have internet, so I will only be able to upload chapters sporadically when I have WiFi available.**

 **LittleP**


	24. Cold Steel

Chapter 23: Cold Steel

They started off early in the morning, just after the bright red sun had begun to rise. Their formation was much the same as the day before, Phasma on point, her troopers behind her, then separated from them by a small gap was the Resistance soldiers, then finally Anders brining up the rear of the small column. Their pace was steady, and if they kept up such a pace they would make decent progress, towards what none of them knew.

However, the feeling surrounding the group was a little lighter than it had been the day previously. Instead of a tension filled silence, the silence that filled the group this morning was not tinged with mistrust and anger.

At the rear of the column was William Anders. As he walked behind his soldiers, he felt more at ease as they trudged through the dense forests. Whereas the forests had brought back unpleasant memories the day before, his heart to heart talk with Captain Phasma the previous night had eased both his mind and spirit. Now as he walked through these very woods, he felt relaxed rather than bothered. He looked out into the woods, and took a deep breath. The air was cool and crisp; it almost smelled like morning, the thought brought a smile to his face. He also calmed himself so that he could hear the sounds of the forest, the countless animals making noises that permeated the never ending green.

He looked to the group in front of him, the green uniforms of his soldiers blended in well with the surrounding forests, but he could see the stark white of the First Order troopers up ahead, as well as the orange and black from the cauldrons some of the officers wore. The colors contrasted sharply with the lush green of the forest. Looking even further up ahead, past the stormtroopers, Will caught the glint of the early morning sun off of Captain Phasma's armor. Will smiled, a smile that soon turned into a frown as his mind analyzed both his predicament and the scene before him. How were they to ambush and surprise the enemy when a number of them were clad in stark white or polished chrome? Will did not like those odds, he needed a solution, and fast.

He glanced around the forest once more, and surmised that there were no threats close by. Assured that they would not be attacked, he picked up his pace and began to head towards the front of the column, towards Captain Phasma.

He passed by his soldiers, who glanced at him and muttered amongst themselves as he passed, he thought he caught the end of a joke from Tali, which caused young Private Dryse to laugh quietly. Despite that he continued his trek; soon he began to pass the stormtroopers. Most looked at him with surprise, and he felt some level of distrust emanate from the few that did not know him. Up ahead, a few paces in front of the main body of the column was Captain Phasma. The last trooper in the column was Trix, the heavytrooper carried his large rifle, with his ammunition vest adorning his armor. As Will passed by the trooper, Trix turned his head and gave a curt nod of his helmeted head.

"Morning, sir." Trix said as Will passed by.

Will, still continuing towards the captain, turned his head and gave a slight nod back. "Morning." He replied, Will noticed that the flametrooper behind Trix was staring at him as he walked to Phasma.

Will finally fell into step besides Phasma, the chrome armored trooper continuing with her long gaits. 

"Colonel Anders, I see you have finally caught up." Phasma's electronic voice came through the helmet.

Will turned and stared at the woman momentarily, Phasma had just joked again. Now that he focused, her force signature felt lighter, at least when he was around. The thought somewhat shocked Will.

He finally replied. "Well some of us are blessed with stubby legs."

Now it was Phasma who turned her helmet to stare at Will. She kept her gaze on the Resistance officer for a few seconds before she turned her gaze back to her front.

"I do not imagine that you came to me just to engage in idle conversation." Phasma said as they continued walking.

Will turned his head away from Phasma and looked to his front. They were on a small path, no wider than two men shoulder to shoulder. Despite both Phasma's and Will's unease at taking an obviously travelled route, it would save them much time and trouble rather than cutting their way through the forests, it was a gamble they were willing to take.

"You are quite right. I came to discuss something with you. A glaring problem if you will." Anders said as he stared at Phasma's shoulder plate, the sun glinting off the armor, nearly blinding him.

"What problem is that?" Phasma said, her voice unconcerned.

"Well, you and your troopers are not very concealable. We will be spotted with a fair distance away because the white of your trooper's armor stands out amongst the green of the forest." Will explained what he saw to Phasma.

"You are quite right." Phasma said, surprising him. "The white of my troops armor, and even my own make our column difficult to conceal. It is just a risk we will have to take if our captured troops are to be brought back safely."

"Well I had something else in mind." Will responded.

"What?" Phasma said.

"Well, what if you dirty your armor?" Will said.

Phasma's helmet instantly turned to glare at him, but Will held his gaze, staring right back into the towering commander's helmet. "Colonel, my troops and I take great pride in our armor and clean it religiously. To ask us to dirty it equates to sacrilege." Phasma's voice was tinged with irritation and anger.

Despite the cold response from the captain, Will pressed the issue. "But Captain Phasma, if you keep your armor in its present condition, we will no doubt be spotted from afar, allowing the enemy time to coordinate an ambush. You know as well as I that we are on the losing end of the numbers game; the only way we can defeat the scoundrels and get our troops back is to surprise the enemy ourselves. We cannot surprise the enemy when they see you from five clicks away."

Phasma did not reply, and returned her gaze to her front, continuing to stride down the narrow dirt path. Will knew Phasma was analyzing both her situation and her options. After tense seconds of waiting a break in the silence, "Very well, we will soil our armor, if it means bringing back my men alive." Phasma said in a tense voice. She turned to Anders and jabbed a gloved finger towards Will. "Do not ask me to do such a detestable action again, colonel."

Will wisely decided not to reply and settled on nodding to the irritated captain.

It was not a moment too soon, because the trail to their front suddenly turned from dry packed earth into a muddy quagmire. Looking around Will noticed why, they had entered a swamp.

He turned to Captain Phasma and noticed that the captain's head was scanning the landscape before them. Will took his eyes off of Phasma and turned to look at the soldiers behind them, the troops were also scanning the swamp.

" Is there a way around it?" A voice, Will recognized as Corporal Guinness, said from the rear of the group.

"Not that is visible." The feminine voice came from the flametrooper.

"Correct you are Sparks. There is no way around this obstacle; we will have to go through." Phasma glanced to Will then over her left shoulder, "prepare yourselves."

The stormtroopers immediately began preparing themselves and their equipment for treading water; ensuring their suit seals was in good order and their blasters watertight.

Will looked as the stormtroopers prepped themselves. He stepped away from the captain and walked back until he was close enough to his troops that they could see him.

"You guys know the drill. Secure your pack straps, shoes, and accoutrements. I want ammo packs, rifles, and anything non-water resistant held above your heads." Will heard the collective groan of his troops, and he smiled. He knew treading water sucked more than stepping in bantha droppings, but it had to be done. He pointed a finger at his men and women in uniform and scolded them mockingly. "No complaining."

With that, his troops began to prepare themselves, and soon, they had their blaster rifles, ammo packs, and other equipment held above their heads. Will nodded and moved to the rear of the column, assuming his position once more.

He saw the chrome helmet of Captain Phasma staring back towards him; he gave her two thumbs up. "Ready when you are."

Phasma gave him a slight nod and returned to her original position. "Forward, march." She said, and soon the column began entering the swamp. 

Will soon found the trail muddy and slippery, although his footing was steady as his Resistance issued boots were very capable of maintaining balance and grip on slippery surfaces like ice and mud, soon the trail turned from mud into water. As he trudged through the swamp, he held his blaster pistol and ammo packs above his head. The water was just past his knees, but looking up ahead, Will could see Phasma and the others had gotten up to waist deep in water. Will mentally groaned, this was not going to be a fun experience.

He continued on, although his red Semian officers sash was now soaked as the water risen to his waist, he gave not a care in the galaxy, the green uniforms of the Semian regiments were for the most part waterproof, and the materials did not shrink or wilt when coming into contact with water. Will looked around, constantly scanning his front, his rear, and both of his flanks. The column was making a lot of noise as it sloshed through the swamp, and Will knew that the sound was carrying for some distance. If the enemy wanted to attack, now would be an opportune time.

After around fifteen minutes in the water, which at some points reached up to his chest, Will could finally see solid ground ahead of him. One by one, stormtroopers and Resistance soldiers alike made it to the solid ground, with Will being the last. His uniform was dripping wet, but its waterproofing performed excellently. His skin neither felt wet nor was he chilled. As an added bonus no water had gotten into his shoe. All and all, Will surmised, it was a good day so far.

Will looked over his own troops, ensuring they were fine and their gear was intact and functioning. He then looked towards the stormtroopers. Their once shiny white armor was in some areas covered in mud, and stained brown from the murky swamp water. Will was pleased, if none of them attempted to clean such muck off of their armor, then they all stood a now decent chance at surprising the gangs of criminals.

His troops had reorganized themselves in formation once more and were awaiting orders to be given. Seeing this, Will walked up to Captain Phasma. As he approached, he noticed the captain's once polished chrome armor was, like her troops, caked in mud, and tarnished and stained by the swamp water. Her cape was dirty, although the jet black of the facing did a good job of concealing the mud and grime.

"Captain, are we still on the right track?" Will asked, he had tried to keep track of their location and movement, but the swamp and forests had begun to disorient him. His pocket compass indicated that they were still on the right heading, but he wanted to double check.

Phasma looked at him as she replied. "We have deviated some from our initial course, but if we continue on our original heading we should hit the mountains by early evening."

Will nodded and led himself back to the rear of the now organized column. He looked through the treetops towards the bright sun, based on its position; he figured it was early afternoon. The column once more began its march; this time however, it was more difficult. The small path they had been on was nowhere to be found, so they initially had to grope and cut their way through the dense underbrush. It made Will extremely uneasy, the memories of the battle of the Canopies, which had plagued him the day before, might make a return. But Will did not let those memories take hold; he took deep breaths and focused of the present rather than the past, and preoccupied himself with scanning the forests to ensure they were not being followed. Within about half an hour, Phasma had managed to relocate the path, and they followed its narrow course once more.

They walked on the narrow dirt path for some unknown number of hours until Will noticed that the once flat terrain began to steadily rise, and they began to move uphill. Soon, the dense foliage began to give way until they reached the base of a steep mountain. Will looked at both the mountain and his surroundings. The sun had begun to set and the mountain before him did not appear as tall as he thought it would be. The sides of the mountain were steeply sloped, but not sheer drops. Will reckoned that the column could make it up the mountain and reach the summit within an hour.

Apparently Phasma had similar thoughts. "We head towards the summit." She said before she began to walk up the steep slope. Will had worries that the hike would overexert Trix and Dryse, who had been recently injured, but his fears were calmed when the heavytrooper and the young private began hiking up the mountain with relative ease.

Will followed, the last one to begin the journey, a journey that for the most part was not too challenging. There were a couple sections of the hike where they had to grip the rocks for stability, but there had been no injuries or close calls. And true to form, the group had made it to the summit of the mountain just as the hour passed. Reaching the summit, Will noticed that nearly everyone had either taken a seat or was leaning against a rock as they rested their tired legs. The only one not doing either was Phasma, who appeared to be looking out over the expanse of land that greeted their eyes. The setting sun glinted off of her dirtied armor as she scanned the landscape before her with her internal HUD. He joined her and took out his small handheld telescope from his jacket pocket, extended it, and began to scan the landscape below. His telescope was not as advanced as Phasma's HUD or available microbinoculars, displaying only distance, but it was a favorite among explorers and smugglers for its compact size. Will had only been using it for a couple moments before something caught his eye. In the distance, around fifteen clicks away, was what appeared to be a large clearing in the woods. Will could just make out the outlines of buildings and ships. He turned to Captain Phasma, and noticed that her helmet was fixed on the same area.

"What do you think it is?" The stormtrooper captain asked without reverting her gaze from the distant clearing.

"I think it's one of their bases." Will replied.

"I agree." Phasma said curtly.

Will once again brought the telescope up to his left eye, and began scanning once more. That's when he noticed it. Leading away from the large clearing with building and ships was a much narrower clearing, winding its way through the forest. From that distance, it was hard to tell what the smaller but longer clearing was, until it clicked in his mind. A road and a major one at that, but that also brought another question into Will's mind.

"Captain Phasma, have you spotted the long clearing which I believe is a road?" Will asked the captain who appeared the still be scanning the horizon.

"It was one of the first things I spotted, Colonel Anders." Phasma replied in a somewhat light tone of voice.

"And you did not see fit to inform me?" Will said, he was not upset just a little irritated that he had wasted some time.

"I wanted to see if your young mind could pick up on something so indiscreet. Being such a young age, I thought you would overlook such a detail because younglings are not so knowledgeable." Phasma told Will in a lighthearted tone.

Will gawked for a second, shocked at what Phasma had done. First she had joked with him, and now she openly teased him like she had known him all her life. He quickly closed his gaping mouth and got back to business.

"Anyway, why have a road? They had ships, why not fly to the base, why use ground transport?" Will said aloud.

Phasma took her gaze away from the horizon and looked at him. "One word, danger. The gangs on this planet are in competition with each other over goods, resources, and credits. Using ships to transport such valuable commodities opens the risk of a ship getting shot down by another gang. Using roads, while much more cumbersome, allows these valuable goods to stay grounded, and puts them at much less of a risk of being stolen."

The answer satisfied Will.

Suddenly Phasma's head whipped around and stared intently at a spot. "Four clicks in that direction take a look." Phasma said gesturing in the direction Will was to look.

Will turned his head in the direction indicated, and brought his telescope to his eye once more. What he saw shocked him.

It was a group, a roving band really. They were close enough that Will could make out the details. They appeared to be twenty to twenty five of them, and they appeared to have stopped for the night and set up camp. Will could see a ring of guards surrounding the main body, and packed tightly together, as if bound, were individuals in white armor. It was Phasma's captured stormtroopers, and Will knew that his captured troops were sprinkled in amongst the bound block of white.

He turned back to Phasma.

"We could attack, but they have guards. I suggest we wait until they are on the move tomorrow morning. I assume they are headed to the base we just saw."

"I concur; we will lose any element of surprise if we attack their guards tonight. We wait, and tomorrow we end this." Phasma said vehemently before she marched away.

Will stood for a few seconds more, looking out over the landscape before he closed his telescope and secured it inside his pocket once more. He then went over to where his soldiers were lounging.

"Spotted the enemy sir?" Private Dryse asked.

Will nodded.

"Do we attack?" Private Alcez asked.

"Not tonight, we wait." He replied.

"Man, we are going to blast them to pieces." Sergeant Tali said.

"No." Will said immediately.

"No?" Lieutenant Dowdall replied.

"No, when we surprise them, we are not going to have the luxury of sitting back and taking potshots at them. They have hostages, and they will damn sure use them as shields. To prevent the loss of our soldiers, we are going to have to end the fight as quickly as possible." Will told his small group.

"Hand to hand, sir?" Tali said as her fingers ghosted over her sheathed knife bayonet.

Will nodded. "Blaster butts and cold steel."

 **Well things are heating up! The next chapter will be action packed (as you can imagine). Apologies for the delay in posting, been busy at work this summer. I should be posting the next chapter by next weekend. Enjoy!**

 **-LittleP**


	25. Pick Your Targets

Chapter 24: Pick Your Targets

Night had fallen around the planet, the blackness seemed all encompassing. Anders' and Phasma's troops stayed put on the mountain. As they had done the previous nights they had been together, guards were sent out while others rested.

Will looked at his belt, and then realized that he could not see anything. He had ordered that no fires or lights be allowed because they were so close to the enemy, additionally, their position was exposed as they sat atop this small mountain. Sighing in muted frustration, Will blindly groped around his belt until he found what he was looking for, his large field knife. He unsheathed it and ran his fingers over the cool steel. He then set about groping once more, this time on his uniform jacket, trying to find the right pocket. His fingers ghosted across the pocket he was looking for, and his hand delved in, he then withdrew the object, a sharpening tool.

Sitting down on a small rock, he ran the knife edge along the tool, a soft scraping sound rippled through the air as the two surfaces met. He stayed like that for many minutes, sharpening his blade, ensuring that it would work come tomorrow; Will knew it would see heavy use.

He heard movement coming off to his right, footsteps, and looked in said direction. He could not see much, but he made out the outline of a figure moving towards him. The limited moonlight allowed him to see that this individual was dressed in white. Will automatically knew it was one of Phasma's stormtroopers. As the stormtrooper got closer to him, Will stood up and faced himself towards the figure. The figure finally halted just a few steps short of him.

"Sir?" A muffled electronic voice came from the helmet.

Will immediately knew it was Nines. "Yes, sergeant?"

"Captain Phasma told me to inform you that we are to relieve the guards on duty." Nines relayed the message to Will.

Will nodded. "Who will be joining us?"

"Whip, and Sparks will be on duty alongside us, sir." Nines said.

"Excellent." Will then gestured with his hand, "lead the way sergeant, goodness knows I cannot see a kriffing thing."

Nines stared momentarily at Will before nodding and walking away, Will followed behind the stormtrooper.

Will nearly stumbled over rocks as he walked in the darkness, but up ahead of him, Nines walked at a steady pace. Will knew the trooper was using his helmet's night vision capabilities.

 _Cheater_. He joked to himself.

After walking for less than a minute, Nines came up to a small group of two other troopers, Will followed and almost ran into Captain Phasma, who stood just off to the right of the small group. Will blinked his eyes and subsequently rubbed them, but yet, he still barely saw Phasma. Her chrome armor invisible to his eyes, the armor seemingly reflecting the pitch black of the night.

"Good evening, Colonel Anders." Phasma spoke, her voice distorted by the helmet she wore, as usual.

"Evening, Captain Phasma. Nines has informed me that I am on guard duty." Will said, glancing away from Phasma, and to the orange pauldron wearing trooper.

"Correct, joining you will be Nines, Sparks, and Whip. You four will be the last rotation of guards, it is early morning, and we must get moving by dawn if we are going to retrieve our captured soldiers." Phasma's voice rang through the darkness.

"Agreed," Will said nodding to Phasma before looking back to Nines and the two other troopers that stood behind him, "shall we?"

"Aye, sir." Sparks, the flametrooper responded.

It took Will a moment to remember that Phasma was not the only female First Order trooper in the group, and hearing Sparks talk for the first time in two days confused him momentarily. However, he shook off the confusion and the small group of four walked together around the summit of the mountain. As they walked, they relieved a guard and placed a new one at specific location, soon all four of them were at their assigned posts. Per usual, each guard was given a wide area to patrol, although the summit made this area smaller, the group was more visible and thus more venerable.

Will had been placed to guard the steep hill they had traversed to get to the top, and that made him nervous. He could barely see in the dark, and he was now guarding the only route up or down off of this mountain. If the enemy decided to attack, the fight would be one fought more by the ears than the eyes, at least for him.

He began pacing around his assigned area, walking back and forth in a monotonous pattern, it was enough to bore him, and after two hours, it did. As he paced his area, he reached the furthest location under his responsibility; he noticed that one of the other troopers on guard duty was walking towards him; no doubt they too were pacing like he was. As the figure came closer, Will decided to halt for a minute to give his now aching feet a respite from walking on the hard stone.

The trooper that appeared out of the darkness was Sparks.

"Good morning, sir." Will caught the voice of the youthful female underneath the white flametrooper helmet.

"Good morning, Sparks, are we having fun yet?" Will could not resist, he was dead bored, in addition to resting his feet, he needed some humor to wake his dreary mind.

Will thought he heard a slight chuckle escape from the flametrooper standing before him. "Aye, sir, I am. It is relaxing up here, the night is quiet, the leaves rustle when the wind catches them, and if you stay up for it, the sunrise will no doubt be amazing."

Will was a little shocked. Never had he heard a stormtrooper of any kind think of anything as beautiful. Most he had encountered, and did not shoot at, were purely military in thought, an example being Phasma. But it appeared that Sparks was not.

"Indeed it probably will be an amazing sight. Tell me Sparks, how is it that you think of natural beauty when most of your comrades do not." Will just had to appease his curiosity.

"Well, when I was taken from my owner by the First Order, I was older than I looked. I look like I am five years younger than I actually am. I had time to develop my interests, likes, and passions. One of those interests was nature. I remember I would sit outside for hours after I finished slaving away at my owners shop, and just sketch and draw what I saw." Sparks' tone was deep with reflection.

Again Will was a little bit surprised. "Amazing, what caused you to continue to fight for the First Order?"

Sparks' voice took a darker tone. "I wanted to make everyone like my master, who owned slaves, to pay for what they did. I have and will continue to do so."

Will nodded, deciding it was best to leave the subject there. "Well, I hope the sunrise is amazing, I will look forward to it."

Sparks nodded. "Excellent, sir." She spun on her heel and walked away, resuming her guard duties once more.

Will looked as Sparks walked away, and likewise spun on his heel and began the boorish pacing once more.

As he was just reaching his boundary on the other side of his guard area, Will encountered yet another trooper. This one was a stormtrooper wearing a black pauldron, Whip.

"Morning, Whip." Will said as the trooper neared him.

"Good morning." Whip replied. "Are your feet getting tired yet?"

"Yes they are, feels like they are about to fall off." Will quipped.

"Very good, sir." Whip replied jokingly.

"Do you know how much longer we have to do this?" Will asked.

"Not much longer, the captain wants us to move before the sun rises." Whip said.

Will nodded, "okay."

"Do you think we are going to fight those criminals today?" Whip asked with slight apprehension in his voice.

"I believe so, they are close enough to our position, and this might be the best chance we have. Are you nervous?" Will was suddenly curious as to why Whip asked such a question.

"Not nervous, sir." Whip's reply was immediate. "I just do not like the idea of me being captured again."

"Why not?" Will asked, feeling like he already knew the reason.

"Will, there is a reason I never take off my helmet." Whip said, using the colonel's first name like it was natural. "I was captured by some Resistance fighters after my comrade, my friend, had taken a bolt to the chest. I stayed with him even after our forces had broken, and retreated from where the pair of us lay. We were soon captured by the Resistance. My hands were bound, and my friend taken away to receive medical care from the enemy. I was taken to a holding cell, where I soon found myself at the mercy of my captors. For days it seemed, the Resistance would send people in to interrogate me. Torture is more accurate. They tried to pry any piece of information they could out of me, but I never broke. After they realized I would not yield any information, one of my captors called for my execution. But it was stayed by someone you know very well."

"Who?" Will asked, enthralled by Whip's experience.

"General Organa." Whip said. "She stayed my execution and order my interrogators arrested. Apparently she was not told by her subordinates. After my execution was stayed, I was once again reunited with my wounded friend, and together we were a part of a prisoner exchange. We soon found ourselves back with the First Order. I carry the scars of my torture, both figuratively and literally."

Will moved and put his hand on Whip's shoulder plate. "Whip, have you ever talked about this to anyone else?"

"No, not in such detail, the only one who remotely knows is Captain Phasma." Whip replied, his voice softer than usual.

Will nodded, understanding Whip's unspoken request. "I will tell not a soul."

"Many thanks to you, sir." Whip replied.

"Just out of curiosity, who was the person who called for your death?" Will asked, hoping he knew the individual, so he could give him his opinion on the matter.

"The same one who ordered my interrogation, a major." Whip said.

"Do you know his name?" Will asked, pressing the squad leader.

"Not his first, but his last I do remember. I believe it was Ematt." Whip said.

Will clenched his fists in anger. "Oh, I know the major. We have had quite a few interactions."

"Will you be seeing him soon, sir?" Whip asked.

"Probably, and I will send him your regards. Have a good morning Whip." Will said as he stalked away from the stormtrooper, seething.

"You as well, sir, you as well." Whip said quietly as he saw Will walk away.

* * *

"Wake up." The rough whispers abounded throughout the camp. Phasma knew that the sun would rise shortly, and they needed to be on their way. Soldiers, both First Order and Resistance, groggily readied themselves to march.

Will had just gotten off guard duty; he was still angry with Major Ematt and would no doubt let the man know when he saw him next. When Will arrived at the organizing column, the sunlight was just beginning to permeate the dark sky above. He walked over to Captain Phasma who was watching the column as it got organized.

"Captain." Will said as he stopped before the chrome armored trooper. "Are we just about ready to move out?"

"Yes." Phasma said, her eyes not moving from the organizing column.

" What is our route?" Will asked, realizing he had no such knowledge of a plan, if there was one.

"We get off this mountain and try to find our way towards the enemy. Once there we ambush them." Phasma said, her eyes still not on Anders.

Will rolled his eyes. "I could have thought of that."

That did it, Phasma turned to face Will. "Really?"

Will scoffed at Phasma's tease, which was becoming ever more frequent. "Who will lead the way?"

Phasma raised a gloved hand towards him. "You and Trix will scout ahead."

Will looked over to the column and spotted the said heavytrooper. The two made eye contact, and Will gave the trooper and smile and a nod. Trix returned to nod. Will noticed that the heavytrooper carried himself and his equipment normally; it appeared that Trix's injury had healed up nicely.

He turned back to Captain Phasma. "What about his injuries?"

"Bacta patches and salve have completely healed the wound." Phasma replied.

Will nodded. "Shall we get moving then?"

Without replying, Phasma turned to the column. "Move out."

The troops began to march slowly and unevenly, Phasma took her spot at the head of the column, and Will and Trix put themselves fifty yards ahead of Phasma. Slowly but surely the group got in step and began marching down the tricky mountain path.

* * *

By the time they reached the base of the mountain it was early morning. The darkness of the sky had nearly given way to the morning sunshine. They had rediscovered the path and took it, they hoped, in the right direction.

Out in front of the column were Trix and Will. Their two heads constantly turned as they walked, scanning the surrounding woods to ensure that they were not being followed. Will took some time to glance over at the heavytooper since they had not spoken at all since moving out nearly two hours before.

"How is your injury Trix?" Will asked.

"It is fine, sir. Still a little tender, but nothing a good workout cannot fix." Trix replied in a light tone of voice.

Will smiled, "Excellent."

"Sir, may I ask you a question?" Trix asked hesitantly.

Will glanced over to Trix and then back towards the path he strode on. "You may ask anything you wish."

Trix was silent a few moments before asking his question. "Why did you save me that night?"

While the trooper was not very specific in his question, he need not be, Will knew what he was asking about. He sighed, hoping he could satisfy such a deep question. "When I saw you wounded, you were helpless, you could barely groan in pain. You were not my enemy, a soldier that I had to destroy; you were a human being in need of help. Too often enemies dehumanize each other, whereas some of us see each other as machines, as I looked upon you as you lay in the sand, clutching your stomach, I realized that you had hopes and dreams like I did. You had a life as real as mine, and I could not let such a life go to waste, even if we are enemies. If I had stood by and watched as you expired, I would be no better than butchers like your General Hux or my General Donhue."

After Will finished silence reigned. Trix did not say a word for what seemed like an eternity. The pair walked in silence for a minute or two until Trix replied.

"No one has told me that." Trix said.

"Told you what?" Will asked, confused.

"That I am a human being." Trix said simply, the emotion in voice was palpable.

Will likewise was too distraught to reply. It broke his heart to some extent that Trix had gone through his entire life being called anything but a human, a sentient.

* * *

Trix and Will were still ahead of the column, nearly three hours after they had started. The sun was now fully up, and in the light Will noticed something that made him smile. As he looked over to Trix's armor, he noticed that the pristine and shiny white armor was dirtied and stained with mud and muck. It appeared that Phasma had taken Will's request to heart, despite her extreme reservations. Will was now satisfied that they stood a much better chance in surprising the enemy in the coming hours.

Will peered up ahead and spotted the trees giving way to what appeared to be a clearing. He turned back and in a loud horse tone whispered to Phasma at the front of the column. "Halt!"

Phasma immediately put her hand up in a silent gesture and the column immediately ground to a halt. Once the column had halted, Phasma herself walked towards Trix and Will.

"What is it?" She asked the pair.

Will looked to his front. "It is a clearing; it could be the route the gang will take to get to their base."

"Probable." Phasma replied.

"What I suggest we do is scout the area." Will told both Phasma and gestured to Trix. "I would like to see if there are any positions we can take that give us an advantage."

"I concur." Phasma said.

Will took that as acceptance and nodded to Trix. Soon the pair of them had peeled away from the column and into the woods. Trix and Will skirted along the edge of the clearing, their eyes analyzing the surrounding environment. The clearing was only the width of twenty people an arm's length apart, big enough to some ground transports to bring in goods. The length of the clearing was difficult to say, but it went for as far as Will could see, kilometers perhaps. At the center of the clearing was an area of dead foliage that extended the length of the clearing. Most likely this indicated where the transports moved over the grass on a regular basis. As they reconnoitered the location, Trix noticed that the wooded ground sloped up as it got closer to the clearing. Will soon found the reason why, a small stream behind them at the base of this rise, it was not the best position from which to launch their attack, but it would have to do.

Both Trix and Will reported back to Phasma.

"Well?" The First Order captain seemed a little impatient.

"We think we found a good spot." Will replied.

"Excellent, we move at once." Phasma silently gestured to her troopers in the front of the column, and soon the group was following Will and Trix.

They soon got to the wooded rise, just at the edge of the clearing. Will turned back to Phasma seeking her opinion.

"This will have to do, for now." Phasma said, "Position your troops." She told Will.

Will nodded and went to the rear of the column where he found his motley assortment of Resistance soldiers. "Form up on the right of Phasma's men, I want rifles loaded. Pick your targets; you may only get one shot."

To Will's left, Phasma was relaying much similar orders. Soon they had formed their line. Phasma and her troopers on the left, followed by the Semians on the right with Will on their right flank, their line stretched a good distance because it was only one person deep. No sooner had they formed their line when an individual came into view, coming down the clearing path.

"Down!" Will whispered loudly.

Everyone obeyed, quickly lying prone on the forest's surface.

To Will's immediate left lay Private Dryse, the young Semian had laid down like everyone else, but his uniform somehow had accumulated copious amount of dust. When he hit the deck, the dust went airborne. As the figure got closer, Will could make out the garb. He was dressed like a criminal.

Will figured he was the point man for the approaching column of criminals and prisoners.

To his left, Dryse was having a hard time. He knew he was going to sneeze, but he tried as hard as he could to hold it in. He finally lost the battle with his nostrils.

The sneeze wrenched through the now silent woods. The sound caused Will to jump in surprise. He looked over to Dryse, the young man looking apologetically back at him. He then lifted his head up and looked over Dryse's shoulder, down the entire line. Every person, both stormtrooper and Resistance fighter, stared at him. His own troops gave him an accusatory glare. He felt like the First Order troopers were doing the same.

"It was Dryse." He whispered.

Sergeant Tali shook her head in exasperation.

He then turned his head back, and sighed at what he saw. The criminal had heard the sound, and was now walking towards their position.

"Kriffing hell." Will muttered. If this person was not neutralized, they stood a real chance of being surprised themselves.

Will's hand groped around his belt before he removed his large knife from its sheath, he slowly rose to a crouch, held the blade between his teeth, and then quickly got up and ran off into the woods.

* * *

Phasma was shocked to see Anders flee.

"Where in goodness sakes is he going!?" One of the Resistance fighters whispered loudly.

"Silence in the line!" Phasma loudly whispered back. If they had not already been found out, they would be if they kept up such conversation.

The figure got closer and closer to the wood line. Phasma's gloved thumb switched off the safety of her blaster rifle, and she heard others do the same.

The figure finally entered the wood line, and stood at the crest of the hill, when he looked down and sspotted the group of stormtroopers and Resistance fighters lying just a few feet away. He opened his mouth as if he were about to scream and Phasma raised her blaster rifle to blow him away. But a brown gloved hand clamped over the man's mouth, and no sooner was a blade slicing its way across his throat. Blood poured from the wound, falling onto the leaves below as if it were rain. The man slumped towards the ground, and the man's killer followed suit, lowering the body to the ground as silently as possible. After taking care of the threat, Will took a moment to look at the line that lay before them, some of his troops had a look of shock, but Dowdall and Tali had looks of understanding.

"Not a moment too soon." Will heard Sparks mutter quietly.

"Quiet." Phasma spoke immediately.

Will looked over to Phasma and then Sparks, the flametrooper laying a body to the right of Phasma. He nodded and then quietly dragged the man's dead body behind their lines.

Will rejoined the line and soon heard the hum of machinery and the sound of voices, lots of voices.

Soon they group of criminals came into view. Will turned to his soldiers to issue one final order.

"Fix your bayonets."

His troops did so, fixing their bayonets to their rifles. Will also noticed to many of the stormtroopers were recalibrating their blasters to fire a close range. Phasma had taken out a shiv that Will did not know she had.

The group got closer. The open transport, filled with goods, was near the front of the column. Surrounding it were twenty criminals. In front of the transport was a group of around ten criminals. Behind them stood the prisoners, bunched together, white stormtrooper armored mixed with the sober green of the Resistance soldiers. Their hands appeared to be bound; some stormtroopers retained their helmets while others did not. Guarding them was an assortment of around fifteen additional criminals. As the column moved closer, Will pulled out his blaster pistol and steadied it, his bloodied knife was still held in his right hand.

He turned one final time to the line.

"What for my signal." He said.

"What is that?" Trix hoarsely whispered from down the line.

"You will know." Will said quickly as the column began to cross directly in front of them.

Will picked the first man in the column as his target. He stilled his breath and pulled the trigger.

The blaster bolt screamed out of his pistol, a bright orange streak flying downrange towards the unsuspecting criminal. The alien had no idea what hit him; the bolt struck him in the chest and traversed his body entirely, embedding itself in a tree on the other side of the clearing.

As the alien crumpled to the ground, the entire line erupted in a roar of light and sound. The criminals began to fall, others began to take cover.

Will issued one final command.

"Give em' hell! CHARGE!"

He and his Semians rushed out of the woods with a scream that rent the atmosphere around them. Phasma and her troops followed right beside, the stormtroopers shouting as they charged into the clearing.

They set upon many of the criminals before they had a chance to fire off a shot.

Private Dryse fired at a criminal as he charged, killing him. He then turned his attention to another that was running towards him. Without restraint, Dryse put his bayonet right through the chest of the man. Kicking his now still body off the bloody piece of sharpened durasteel he continued his task.

Sergeant Tali had charged into a pair of criminals and used her forward momentum to knock one over. She then smashed the others face in with a well placed blow from her blaster's butt. She felt the alien's skull crack and break. She then turned her attention to the human criminal she had knocked over. The man was just getting to his feet when she blew his head open with a high power blaster bolt at point blank range.

Trix was using his armor to his advantage. He turned his attention to the criminals guarding the prisoners. In the chaos surrounding him, blasters being fired at point blank range, bayonets going through bodies, and the cries of dying men, he was completely focused. He came upon a guard who shot at him. He neatly dodged the bolt and raised his heavy blaster rifle up and blasted the man at close range, the impact charred his chest and threw him back a good number of meters. Trix then felt something impact his left side and throw him to the ground. No sooner had he hit the ground when he was set upon by a criminal with a shiv. The man attempted to stab at the gaskets between his armor plating his Trix head butted the man, feeling the man's nose shatter. The man fell away from him and held his nose in agony. Trix was then the one to set upon him. Trix punched the man with weighted blows from his fists, and then reached into his ammo vest, grabbed a blaster cartridge and began smashing it into the man's face. After repeated bludgeoning, the man fell still, and Trix was satisfied he would not cause any further trouble. He peered over to his left side and saw a scorch mark; his armor did its job, protecting him from a blaster bolt. The fight still raged around him, and Trix once more jumped into the fray.

Phasma was having an amazing time. She blasted a good number of criminals, punched others into oblivion with her gauntleted hands, and was now using her shiv to great effect. After she had just finished off an opponent when she was set upon by two individuals at once, a human and an alien, one grabbed her from behind the other kicked her right in the chest. She did not feel it, her armor protecting her upper body. The one behind her drew a shiv and brought it down towards her throat, the Force seemingly blaring a warning through her mind. She grabbed his arm and twisted it. The man's arm snapped and he screamed. In a lightning quick motion she grabbed the blade from the now limp arm and threw it towards the alien. The blade embedding itself in the alien's eye socket, his body fell backwards. She still held onto the man's arm, she then pulled his arm down across her body, causing the man to flip over her shoulder and land in front of her. After that she picked up her shiv and stabbed the man in the heart, silencing him. She then went back to work.

Will was in the thick of it. He was now using his blaster pistol as a club; he had lost his knife earlier in the fight when it became deeply embedded in the chest of an attacker. He soon found himself faced with an enemy to his front; the man was raising his blaster pistol as Will ran towards him. Will knew he would not make it, and did what he thought might work. He threw his pistol as hard as he could through the air, the weighted object cracking the head of the enemy before him. Then the Force sang to him, it seemed to be telling him that something was off to his right. No sooner had he turned around that he jumped out of the way of a blade as it fell down towards him. The blade's holder had put his entire body into the movement, and when he missed, he stumbled. Will took advantage and wrapped his arms around the alien's neck. Pulling and tugging, he was soon satisfied to hear the crack as the criminal's neck was broken. He let the body drop to the ground.

After that Will looked around, most of the criminals had been finished off. Finally Sparks silenced the final one in sight with a blaster butt to the head, shattering his skull.

Silence once again reigned throughout the clearing. Will looked around and took note of the scene. All around were the bodies of criminals, dressed in all sorts of clothing, and carrying all sorts of weapons. But as he looked around, he noticed he did not see white armored bodies lying in the grass, or green clothed soldiers either. It made him curious but he turned his attention to his captured soldiers. Phasma and Dryse had already begun to assess their condition and began to cut them from their bonds. As Will walked over, he too took out his switchblade from his jacket pocket, and began cutting the bonds of Resistance soldier and stormtrooper alike. Some of the troopers gave him suspicious glances and as soon as he was finished cutting their bonds, they jumped around to face him, not trusting their backs to him.

Soon all the prisoners were released.

Will went up to Phasma, the captain appeared fine, although her chest armor was scuffed, and there was some blood on her helmet. Will knew it was not her blood. The captain noticed his approach.

"Colonel Anders." Phasma said in a light tone of voice.

"Captain Phasma, I see you are unhurt." Will said.

"Indeed, I see you are as well, unless you count a missing hat as an injury." Phasma said again in a light tone.

Will reached his gloved left hand up and felt his head, feeling his soft hair. He looked around and quickly located his fallen cap. Walking over, he put it on his head, and then began looking for his lost knife. He found it still in the chest of one of the criminals. Using all of his might he withdrew the blade, a sickening sound created as the blade came out of the dead criminal's chest.

After wiping the blade off he once again walked over to Captain Phasma. As he walked he looked over and noticed that the prisoners were reuniting with their comrades. Laughter, handshakes, and even some hugs were being exchanged. It was enough to make Will smile.

He reached Captain Phasma just as Nines had finished speaking to her.

"Well, do we know casualties?" Will asked, fearing the news.

"Indeed. The enemy has suffered forty five killed. None wounded or captured." Phasma relayed in a steady voice.

Will nodded, knowing they showed the criminals no mercy. "What about our people?"

Phasma's voice took a much lighter tone as she spoke. "Zero killed or captured."

Will could not believe it. "How many wounded?"

"Zero." Phasma replied.

 **BOOM. The battle has been fought and won! But they're not out of it just yet. Stay tuned!**

 **-LittleP**


	26. Down The Hill

Chapter 25: Down The Hill

Will had finished undoing the binds on another trooper, a heavytrooper based on the vest the trooper wore. He was just about to go and undo the binds on another trooper when Will felt a jolt in his Force sense.

He tried to react, spinning around with his hand going to his belt but it was too late. The man wrenched his blaster from the holster and shoved Will. After he stumbled, Will turned back around and was greeted with a sight he thought he would never see. The muzzle of his own blaster pointed right between his eyes.

Everyone went still. For many seconds it seemed like not one person moved or even dared to breathe.

Will just stood where he was, his eyes fixed on his blaster before him.

Then Private Dryse and Captain Phasma moved. Dryse was off to Will's left, and stepped right up next to his commander, their shoulders nearly touching. Dryse did not do perform any inflammatory actions, rather he stood with his blaster rifle and bloodied bayonet in a rest position.

Captain Phasma was the next to move, she walked towards the heavytrooper, stopping only when she began to crowd the trooper, her chest plate nearly touching the heavytrooper's armor.

"Lower the blaster FN-4515." She said in a very stern voice.

The heavytrooper wasted no time in responding. "Captain, this man, these soldiers, are Resistance, they are our enemies. We are at war with these scum, and—"

"You will shut that petty mouth of yours or I will rip that helmet from your face and beat you until you can no longer speak." Phasma spoke in a very low, soft tone.

Will felt the chills go through his body, despite their encounters, Will reminded himself that Phasma was still very much a captain of the First Order.

The heavytrooper did not respond, wisely, but his grip on the blaster remained firm. Will swallowed, if he was going to die today, this seemed to be the moment.

Phasma then did something that Will was not expecting.

With a speed that her tall and bulky armored frame hid, she reached down, grabbed her blaster rifle from the holster on her thigh and leveled it in the direction of FN-4515. Will's eyes nearly bugged out at the sight, the shock was palpable among the entire group.

"You will drop the blaster, or I will blast you where you stand." Phasma's voice was no longer chillingly soft; it contained a strong edge of anger.

After a few moments of silence, FN-4515 wavered and finally lowered the blaster pistol, which was promptly grabbed by Phasma. The chrome armored captain then offered the pistol back to Will. Will stared at the pistol momentarily before gently grabbing the butt and placing the pistol back in his belt holster. He looked around for a moment and saw that most individuals were still staring at the scene before them. Will then looked to Phasma, who stared back at him.

" Pick up any blasters, shivs, or anything that can be used as a weapon," he said in a loud commanding voice, " We do not know if there are more of the enemy on their way."

Having given his order, Will waited for it to be carried out. Yet no one moved. It seemed like everyone was cemented in place. If that was the case, then they were sitting ducks.

"That was an order! Move!" Phasma's voice rang through the clearing. The once still soldiers jumped and sprang into action. Both stormtrooper and Resistance soldier alike began rummaging through the bodies of dead criminal picking up anything that could be used as a weapon.

Soon after, every person had a blaster in their hands. Scanning the group, Will noticed a very exotic mix of blasters contained throughout the group. Some had standard issue blaster rifles, others had a wide range of pistols, scatterguns, and Will thought he saw a Wookie bowcaster in the hands of one stormtrooper.

Phamsa, like Will, had been supervising most of the process, once her troops had proper arms, she walked over to Will. With the influx of those soldiers who were previously held hostage, their small group had swelled in numbers. With the additions, the harmony and borderline camaraderie that had defined the small group the previous couple of days had all but disappeared. The group was once again segregated, with the stormtroopers flocking over to Phasma, and the Resistance soldiers likewise to Will. Between them was a narrow strip of grass that acted as a divide.

Phasma was not one to care about divides, especially now when they were still in danger. Not caring for the glares she got from the foolhardy Resistance soldiers she crossed the grass median between the two groups and headed for Anders.

"Colonel Anders, do you wish to discuss our next moves?" She asked in a light questioning tone of voice.

Will had opened his mouth to respond, when a voice beat him to it.

"We do not talk to stormie scum! Nor will we cooperate with you genocidal maniacs!" A few shouts of agreement followed the outburst.

Phasma's was not fazed, and still fixed her gaze on the Resistance colonel.

Will shut is open mouth and pivoted on his heel to face his troops. He knew that voice and as he looked toward his soldiers he found the culprit.

The man wore the green uniform of the Semian regiments fighting in the Resistance; his rank patch indicated a sergeant. His face was curled in a dangerous sneer that all but dissolved when Will's eyes fixed on his.

Without saying a word Will walked over towards the individual. The few soldiers around the sergeant took a few steps back as Will stepped towards him. Will stopped just a finger's length away from the man.

"What was that sergeant?" Will asked in a low voice.

"Sir, we should not be associating ourselves with these criminals." The sergeant explained.

Will suddenly grabbed the man's collar and pulled him close, their noses nearly touching. "That is not for you to decide. I do not give a damn about allegiances or loyalties when I am just trying to survive. Now do you want to get off this planet, or be left here in a decomposing pile of limbs?"

The sergeant's gaze turned downwards to his feet. "I want to get off this planet." He mumbled softy as if he were a child being scolded by a parent.

Will nodded, "Good, so stick your small balls in your pants, suck it up, and for kriffing sake do not complain, do you understand?"

The sergeant wordlessly nodded.

"Good, now sit here and shut it." Will said before turning back around and resuming his position near Phasma.

He cleared his throat and began to speak. "I am aware, as is the captain, that there is a great deal of tension between our two opposing groups. I am aware that we are enemies, meant to kill each other on sight, but the situation we now find ourselves in is radically different than a normal battlefield. If we are to make it off of this planet and back to our respective forces, then we will have to work together. If we do not, we will no doubt all be dead by nightfall. There is a time and place for the animosity and hate to exist between us, this is not that time. So I implore you, beg you, put aside your difference just this once, watch each other's backs, and to help each other survive. If we can do that, we can all go home, and not in body bags."

When Will finished not a word was said for man minutes.

Phasma broke the silence by resuming her dialogue with Will once more.

"What are we going to do next?" Phasma asked once more.

Will looked into the visor, "Do you have any indication how far the gangs base is from this location?"

Phasma remained silent for a few moments before replying. "Based on what we saw from the top of the mountain, I would estimate the distance to the base is around six clicks from this location."

Will nodded, "While I would usually suggest otherwise, I suggest we head to the base, it may be our best bet of getting a hold of some comm units and contacting our forces."

"We are outnumbered and surrounded by the enemy; do you think such a maneuver is wise?" Phasma asked, her tone was not criticizing but questioning.

"True," Will responded, "But, based on how we fought here, I do believe we can successfully defeat any enemy force in our way."

Phasma nodded, the movement causing the now bright sunlight to glare off of the metallic surface. " While I have reservations, I too agree with this plan."

"When do you want to move out?" Will asked.

"Now." Phasma responded.

"Excellent." Will said in response.

Phasma nodded and turned away from him. "Platoons will form into columns, march!"

Phasma's troopers and the small group of Resistance soldiers that had marched with them the previous days followed her directive. But, Will noticed, the remaining fifteen soldiers under his command did not budge.

"The captain's orders are to be obeyed!" He shouted towards his troops, who immediately formed into the two abreast column.

"March!" Phasma shouted once the column was organized, and the now much larger column, numbering forty eight soldiers, stepped off once more.

* * *

Will, as he had the previous days, took a position in the rear. Immediately to his front was Lieutenant Rogers, her wounds obviously still tender. She had slowly fallen back to his location when the march started, and soon, she was walking beside Will.

Will looked her up and down, making sure she was not too badly hurt. "How are you holding up Rogers?"

The young woman turned to face him. "Fine, sir. I am glad I am back. "

"As am I, I, we, would not know what to do without you." Will said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir." Rogers replied with a smile.

"After all, who would wake me in the morning?" Will could not resist.

He was rewarded with a playful punch on his shoulder.

* * *

After marching for what seemed like for hours, the column neared the base. Phasma had ordered them to halt and take up positions in the woods. She then moved to find Anders.

When she found him she reported what she had seen. "The base is in a bowl. It is surrounded on multiple sides by hills."

Will's face lit up. "We can use those to our advantage. Any idea how many people are inside?"

Phasma shook her helmeted head. "I could not get a clear enough view but I would estimate around eighty to ninety."

"Kriff." Will said, the odds were very much against them. Will was about to reply when a red blaster bolt came screaming up hill and buried itself in a tree near to him. They had been detected.

"Make ready!" Will said as he and Phasma ran to take defensive positions. The stormtroopers and Resistance soldiers readied their blasters and prepared for a fight.

Will then heard shouting coming from downhill, he squinted his eyes to see what was going on. Then he saw what appeared to be criminals running uphill towards their position. The bolts travelling uphill increased as the criminals charged uphill with a scream, so much so that Will ordered everyone to lay down, an order which everyone obeyed.

He and Phasma waited until the criminals got close to their position.

"FIRE!" Phasma bellowed, and the whole line opened up on the enemy who stood only twenty paces away. While some took cover behind trees and stones, many were caught out in the open and were killed instantly by the barrage of bolts. With the first volley of fire, the criminals fell back down the hill. Despite the failed assault, the firing on both sides was intense, blaster bolts peppering the air around the base. So much so that Will did not dare to stand up.

After many minutes of repeated firing, Will began to notice that some of the soldiers were beginning to run low on ammunition. By the time Will saw figures moving uphill once more, many of the soldiers under he and Phamsa's command were completely empty.

The group of criminals that charged uphill had plenty of ammo based on the amount they fired as they came up hill. The column could only respond with so many shots now that many were out of ammo.

Will looked down the line and saw that most of the soldiers were still hunkered down and not able to do anything the enemy neared. It appeared that their time of reckoning had dawned.

Not if he could help it.

 _Screw it_. He thought.

Will stood up despite the bolts whizzing around his body and moved in front of the line. He walked down the line containing his troops shouting one command.

"Rise up!"

His soldiers did so without hesitation despite the danger.

"Fix bayonets!" He screamed over the whine of blasters firing.

Those that had them did as they were ordered, those that did not, positioned their blasters for use as clubs.

"Anders, what are you doing!?" Phasma shouted over the sounds of battle, she and her soldiers still lying on the ground.

Will looked at the chrome armored captain. "If we cannot keep them from coming up the hill, then we will go down the hill."

Phasma got the message. "Rise!" She ordered her troops, who promptly obeyed and joined the Resistance soldiers.

Will took a moment to glance at the line, stormtroopers and Resistance fighters standing together, shoulder to shoulder, in battle against a common enemy. He knew this was a moment in history.

Removing his large knife from his belt and holding it in his left and, with his blaster pistol in his right, he gave the final command.

"Charge!"

The line seemed to come alive. The Semians gave a cheer and started downhill. The stormtroopers also cheered and shouted on their own accord as they moved down the hill. Most of the criminals who were charging up the hill retreated once they saw the mass of soldiers charging towards them. Those that made the decision to fight met their end by bayonets or blaster butts.

Soon the line had charged into the main base and fierce hand to hand combat flared up, its violence rivaling what had occurred out on the road earlier that morning.

For nearly thirty minutes, blasters were discharged at point blank range, individuals were skewered on bayonets, and others had their heads bashed in.

When the last criminal in sight fell dead, only then did the fighting cease. Will's uniform was bloodied and charred from such ferocious hand to hand combat. Looking over at others, he noticed their uniforms much the same. Phasma's chrome armor was darkened with drying blood, and her cape was in tatters. All around were the corpses of the dead. However, as he looked over he noticed that he did not see a single green or white clad body lying around.

He did not have time to think when Lieutenant Rogers, her face and hair matted with blood came over to him and shoved something towards him.

Looking at the object in her hand, Will's eyes widened when he realized what it was, a working comm unit.

"Thank you." He told Rogers with sincere joy.

He activated the comm, got on the correct frequency, and made the call.

"Hello?" A soft voice answered.

"Leia?" Will asked.

"William?" She responded, "Are you on Yavin 4?"

Will gave a chuckle. "Boy are we. Our ship was shot down, we were attacked by gangs, and forced to survive nearly three days out in the wilderness. I am sending coordinates so we can be retrieved. "

"Anyone seriously hurt?" Leia's voice was filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine. Will you send a pickup?"

"Right away. Do not hesitate to call if need be." Leia said before disconnecting the call, no doubt rushing to get Resistance transports to the planet.

Will then walked over to Captain Phasma and handed her the comm. After the chrome trooper had made a similar call she handed the comm back to Will who put it inside his handy jacket pocket.

"It appears our time here is coming to a close." Phasma said.

"Unfortunently." Will said.

"Indeed. Despite this, we have finished with a great victory. Whip just gave me a preliminary casualty report."

"How bad?" Will asked.

" From what we can gather, the enemy has sustained 112 killed in and around this base." Phasma said.

"What about our casualties?"

When Phasma spoke, it was in a tone Will had never heard before, it sounded like happiness. "None killed, five wounded."

Needless to say, Will was shocked.

 **NOOOOOO! Things are coming to a close it seems. These two will have to go back to being enemies once more. Well it was fun while it lasted.**

 **-LittleP**


	27. Old Friends

Chapter 26: Old Friends

Will nearly forgot to breathe. Again, this little group of theirs had overcome superior odds and had come out virtually unscathed. After checking up on the five wounded soldiers, he discovered that each had minor wounds that would not require any intensive surgery.

Will did the math in his head. The enemy had suffered 157 killed to their five wounded. Any way he looked at it, it was a stunning victory.

Phasma smiled behind her mask at the look of wonder on Will's face. "Is something on your mind Colonel Anders?"

Will physically shook himself out of his thoughts. "Just thinking about the odds we faced. I would say we did pretty good."

The smile behind her mask grew even larger. "Indeed." She then heard a cry of a wounded trooper, knowing it was her duty to be with her soldiers, she knew she had to cut the conversation short. "I must assist my wounded troopers, excuse me."

Will nodded but said nothing as Phasma walked away, he knew how it felt having injured soldiers under your command.

After Phasma left, Will just wanted to lay down and sleep. He had so little of it the past couple of days that he thought he could no longer be effective in the field. He worried for his own personal safety and the safety of his troops as a result of his fatigue.

After both he and Phasma had used the comm units, Will decided to wait. After checking to ensure that none of his troops sustained any injuries, he found a nice isolated spot at the edge of the base and just plopped himself down on the hard earth. The spot was quiet, and it allowed him both to relax, but also to think.

Will's thoughts centered on the situation at hand. How in the world would he explain this to his superiors? How would he get them to understand? How would he and his troops be looked upon by the other Resistance fighters? Would they be branded as traitors? Heroes? The questions came unbidden, but no answers came to answer those questions. For now, Will would have to be content with the unknown consequences of this little adventure of his.

He sighed, if he did not stop these questions from inundating his mind, he would get worked up. To calm himself, he decided to do a useful task, cleaning his dirty weapons. His blaster, large knife, and switchblade had seen some heavy use the past day. Adjusting his seating position momentarily, he removed his blaster from its holster, and looked it over. The once shiny metallic gleam of the barrel had all but disappeared, covered up under a layer of dirt. The same could be said for the short black stock. The blaster pack loaded into the blaster was nearly fused with the butt because there was so much dirt and debris caught in it. It took some shaking, but finally the no useless pack fell out, and Will could finally get to cleaning his blaster. After many minutes of scrubbing and cursing, his blaster looked a lot better. It still had some dirt on it, but Will would remove that when he got back onboard ship, where better cleaning supplies could be obtained. Putting the blaster back in his belt holster, Will then moved onto the large knife. Drawing it out of its sheath, he looked over the pitch black blade. It, like his blaster, had a nice shininess to it when clean. But after its repeated use today, it looked more like a dull and pitted spoon. He had wiped the blood off the blade after the two fights today, but the use took its toll. To get the shine he so liked back, he would have to soak this blade in a solution back on ship.

Shaking his head, Will placed the knife back onto his belt, and stuffed his hand into his pocket. He found the handle of his small switchblade, and pulled it out. Unlike his previous two personal weapons, his switchblade had a normal durasteel look and finish.

 _It matches Phasma's armor_. Will thought humorously.

The switchblade, like his other weapons, was also in need of some cleaning. And again, he would do it aboard ship.

Of course, all this cleaning would be after Will inventoried the equipment he and his soldiers had on this expedition, calculated for such losses, made a very long and detailed report, and had a chat with the Resistance high command, who Will knew were dying to talk to him about this situation. Overall, Will simply hated his life right now.

Chuckling to himself over the inevitable reactions of General Donhue and others, Will's thoughts turned to Major Ematt. And his thoughts darkened when he recalled his conversation he had with Whip. He was going to deliver on his promise of having a nice and long "conversation" with the major.

He looked around at the base around him. Most of the troops, both First Order and Resistance were either milling about or relaxing. Those that were wounded were being treated with the best care possible with the limited resources available.

Will hoped that more adequate resources would arrive soon when transports arrived and got them off this forsaken planet.

That thought caused an alarm to go off in Will's mind.

Both he and Phasma had called their respective forces to retrieve their troops. Both he and Phasma were on the same planet, and comingled.

Would there be a dogfight in the sky to decide which side's transport, First Order or Resistance, got to the base first?

Such a situation was probably likely seeing that the Resistance and First Order were not on negotiation terms. And if that was the case, that meant that only one side's transports would make it to the ground. And that meant that one side would automatically be at the mercy of their enemies, no matter what happened over the past few days.

The thought caused chills to spread over Will's body. While he and his forces had been sent to this planet with other Resistance forces, this planet was not the main objective for the Resistance. It was only a minor point to be taken, as such, the Resistance had sent mediocre ships and pilots to secure the space surrounding Yavin 4. That did not bode well for him or his soldiers.

Will knew the inevitable when he saw it. It would be the First Order transports that got to this base first.

With such an outcome, Will knew he had to get his forces away from here before said transports entered the atmosphere.

He knew it was not smart decision making, what would he and his soldiers do after they got away from the base? How would they survive? They were surrounded by enemies on every conceivable side, they did not know the territory, they were limited in rations and had no idea how to sustain themselves in these woods, and Will did not even know if the Resistance transports would even make it past First Order TIE's, assuming they were even sent.

The situation was terrible all around. There were no positive outcomes, but Will was going to take such a risk.

He stood up from his isolated spot, and hurriedly walked over to his troops. They were, for the most part, in a big collective group, many sitting and relaxing, others alert and watching the situation around them. They all came to attention when Will walked over.

"Sir, what is it?" Rogers asked Will quizzically.

"Pack up your things and prepare to move out." Will said.

"Why? Has something come up?" Private Dryse's voice arose from the middle of the group.

Will had just opened his mouth to answer when a high pitched sound broke over the treetops and hills.

Will looked up in the direction of the sound, and suddenly a formation of TIE fighters shrieked overhead followed by five ships. These ships were rectangular in shape and lacked any discernible wings.

Will had gone through enough briefings to know what these ships were. They were Atmospheric Assault Landers, and they were the primary troop transports of the First Order. They were too late.

As the ships descended towards the base's large central clearing, Will knew he could do absolutely nothing. Five transports were about to set down, each transport able to carry twenty stormtroopers each, that meant that an additional 100 troopers were on their way, in addition to Phasma and her twenty seven troops. Will just stilled himself and hoped for the best.

He returned his gaze to his troops. "Whatever happens, do not raise your rifles."

"But sir," a voice tried to say.

"That is an order." Will said, silencing any dissent. He and Phasma had coexisted peacefully so far, he did not want the bloodshed to start now, when they are all so close to getting off world.

The transports touched down, one by one in quick succession, the ramps lowered, and dozens upon dozens of stormtroopers came rushing out; the men in white storming towards them.

It took Will and his soldiers all their self control not to raise their weapons and fire. Instead, they simply stood ghostly still as they were surrounded by the enemy.

"Freeze!"

"Drop your weapons!"

"Surrender!"

The shouted commands of these new stormtroopers broke the once peaceful forests, yet Will and his soldiers did not obey the orders; they continued to stare at the enemy.

The cries of the newly arrived troopers gradually died down until the scene became more like a silent standoff. The 100 troopers had placed themselves in a crescent formation at the Semians front and to the sides of their group; to their rear were Phasma and her troopers. Whereas the newly arrived troopers had blasters drawn and pointed in their direction, Phasma and her soldiers were doing nothing more than watching the scene unfold. Some of them did have blasters drawn, but they were pointed down at the ground.

After nearly three minutes another figure walked down one of the transport ramps. This figure was not dressed in white stromtrooper armor; this individual was clad in the teal garb of the First Order. Will's eyes fell when he got a glimpse of the person's face.

It was Hagg.

 _The slimy rat._ Will thought.

The impeccably dressed officer strode down the ramp, his face was smug, and he walked with perceived superiority.

He walked over towards Will, as he passed his troops, one of his orange pauldron wearing sergeants accompanied him. He stopped just a hand's length away from Will.

"Well Anders, it appears we meet again. I have always wanted to meet the scum that humiliated me all those weeks ago." Hagg gave a threatening smile. Hagg then noticed that Phasma and her troopers had not raised their weapons. "Phasma, you and your troops Will raise your weapons to prevent any escape of the prisoners." When only some of the troopers raised their weapons, Hagg barked, "That is an order!"

Reluctantly, Phasma, and most of her troopers raised their weapons. Soon Will and his soldiers were surrounded on all sides with blasters leveled at them.

Will was not one to back down from a threat. He took a step forward, crowding Hagg, so much so that their chests were nearly touching. "That is Colonel Anders to you, Major Hagg. While you may be the highest ranking officer amongst your troops here, I am the superior officer." Will smiled as he watched Hagg's face morph from happiness to anger; the smile turning into a frown. " I had already forgotten my conversation with you during the prisoner exchange. But it seems like you cannot. What a shame."

Hagg's red face contrasted with his light hair color, and the major wasted no time in drawing his blaster and putting it to Will's temple.

Will did nothing, however, he noticed that some of his troops flinched and began to raise their rifles to defend their commanding officer. He quashed the action with a stern wave of his hand, eyes never taken off of the blaster at his forehead.

"Well, Colonel Anders," Hagg said with glee, "It appears that I am the superior officer."

 _Only in your delusional mind_ , Will thought, but wisely did not say.

"Stay your pistol major." A stern voice came from one of the transports.

Hagg turned his head to his rear, still holding the pistol to Will's head. "But sir, this enemy…"

"He is no enemy you nerfherder!" The voice nearly shouted.

Will smiled, amused in thinking that he was not the only one who shared his opinion of Hagg.

"With all due respect colonel, this man is a Resistance fighter, a traitor, a scum….." Hagg attempted to say.

"Silence." The voice ordered. Wisely, Hagg shut up.

Will thought he recognized the voice.

Suddenly, up on the ramp appeared yet another figure clothed in First Order uniform. As the figure walked down the ramp, more details became apparent to Will.

The figured wore a teal uniform, crested command cap, and on his sleeve cuff, written in Aurebesh was the name "Kaplan." This man was a First Order colonel.

After Will had taken in the details of the uniform, his attention turned to the man's face. And needless to say, he was shocked.

As the colonel walked towards him, Hagg turned back to face Will. He pressed the barrel of the pistol into his forehead even harder.

"Major Hagg, if you do not obey my orders, I will stand here and beat you until you do. Now, for the last time, lower your blaster and step away." The First Order colonel told Hagg harshly as he drew nearer.

Hagg wisely jumped away from Will.

The colonel stopped close to Will. Both men looked each other up and down. The same smile that graced Hagg's face appeared on the colonel's face.

Except only this time Will genuinely smiled back.

"I see you still like wearing the sash." The colonel said apparently out of the blue.

"The red suits me." Will replied.

Will then shook hands with the First Order colonel to the shock of his troopers, and some of the Resistance soldiers. Hagg stood watching the scene with his mouth agape.

" Devitt, how are you?" Will asked as he shook the man's hand.

"I am fine Will, how about yourself?" The First Order colonel, Devitt, asked.

"Excellent." Will replied with a wide smile.

Devitt looked over Will's shoulder and waved to Lieutenant Rogers. "How goes the fighting, Rogers?"

Rogers chuckled. "Never better, sir."

"Very good." Devitt replied. He then turned his attention back to Will.

"I see you have been restored to your former rank." Devitt said looking at Will's uniform patch on his collar.

"I guess high command saw some value in me. Goodness knows Donhue did not." Will said.

Devitt sighed in disgust, "The old hag was always that way. I am surprised he does not hate himself."

Will once again looked at Devitt's uniform. "I see you have risen to colonel as well, congratulations."

"Thank you." Devitt's face lit up with a smile, "It is always nice to catch up to the 'Gray Ghost'."

"Indeed." Will said.

Devitt then took a moment to survey the situation around him. Noticing that his troops still had their weapons raised, he ordered them lowered. While some troopers were clearly reluctant to lower their weapons, they did so. Others were conflicted, and their weapons remained at a near ready position. Thus, the atmosphere remained tense.

"Sir," Hagg decided to step in, "this is not right, according to protocol, the prisoner…"

"Quiet Hagg." Devitt snapped, turning to face the major. "If you open your mouth one more time, I will have troopers bind you, and put you back on ship."

Thoroughly humiliated once more, Hagg decided to stare at his boots.

Devitt then turned back to face Will. He rotated his head, looking around at both his and Phasma's stormtroopers.

He cleared his throat and began to speak. "This man," gesturing to Will, "Is no prisoner. He is a hero."

Then after a prolonged silence, "He is my hero, my savior. Colonel Anders saved my life."

 **And we have a new character! Will we see more of Devitt, I hope! I plan on going back through these chapters and correcting some of the ranks I have given soldiers, especially pauldron wearing stormtroopers. Having done a lot of research since TFA came out, I know that I messed up the colored ranking system. Expect those inaccuracies to be corrected.**

 **-LittleP**


	28. Everything Not Black And White

Chapter 27: Everything Not Black And White

 _A bolt of color shrieked overhead, the bolt slammed into the ground to his rear, exploding. The five or so soldiers standing in the immediate vicinity were either blown apart or thrown many yards, their lifeless bodies landing with a thud._

 _Lieutenant Devitt Barlow was terrified. He did not know where he was, and he doubted the commanders of the Semian Forces for Unity knew either. The SFU army in this sector of Semia numbered around 100,000 men and women. They were facing off against the 101,000 troops of the Semian Forces for Equality. The SFU generals had underestimated the speed of the SFE troops. They planned for a campaign to outflank the SFE army in the sector, attack it on its flank, destroy it, and capture major cities and other strategic locations. They thought this would end the bloody war. They were wrong. Instead, the SFE army checked their movement, and within a day, both armies, with a combined 201,000 soldiers, faced off against one another._

 _Barlow knew this was perhaps the worst combat terrain imaginable._

 _All around him were dense woods, so dense that he could not see more than ten yards in any direction. The only way he knew where the enemy was located was by tracing the blaster bolts as they cut through the trees. The two armies were caught in what was known as "The Canopies," one hundred square kilometers of forest, a place where no armies should fight._

 _Yet they did._

 _And now here he stood, disoriented in the woods, with artillery pounding his position. The company under his command made up part of a larger regiment of SFU soldiers, which made up and even larger division of the SFU army. The SFU army was spread out over a four kilometer line, facing off against an SFE nearly as widespread. Barlow and his regiment found themselves in dense woods with a small open farmer's field to their front. The small field surrounded on all sides by green woods. This field was one of the only clearings in "The Canopies," a farmer who had risked trying and making a living in such an environment. In scouting the edge of the field, SFU soldiers had reported to the regimental commander, a colonel, that the hill's topography put the SFU at a disadvantage._

 _The field was hilly, sloping up towards the SFE positions. The SFE soldiers were reported to be entrenching, in addition to their advantage of controlling the high ground. Just to the rear of the hill was the dense forest._

 _Barlow asked if it were possible to outflank the line on the ridge and collapse it, but he was told the line was far too strong, it's flank anchored on a river; a natural defense._

 _Now Barlow received the order from the colonel, he and his men were to advance across the open field, up the hill, and attack the SFE positions._

 _It was madness, but Barlow knew it had to be done._

 _Barlow did not condone or agree with the discrimination allowed by the pre-war Semian government. However, he felt that the change towards total equality for all being championed by the Equality Radicals, as they were known, was too fast and too extreme. Barlow felt that such a transformation should occur gradually over a period of time, to allow the social, economic, and political institutions time to adapt. So when the population of Semia was split, those joining the SFE, and others joining the SFU; Devitt Barlow knew where he would go. And so he joined the Semian Forces for Unity._

 _Now here he was, in this forsaken wilderness._

" _Step up!" The colonel shouted, and nearly 1,000 men and women dressed in brown uniforms stood up and advanced to the edge of the woods._

 _Men and women began falling instantly. The SFE soldiers were taking potshots downhill at the SFU soldiers as they stood in a line at the edge of the woods._

" _Fix bayonets!" The colonel ordered, Barlow parroted the order to his soldiers, and they promptly obeyed._

 _With bayonets fixed and gleaming in the morning sun, the final order was given._

" _Charge!"_

 _The nearly 1,000 soldiers dressed in brown gave a shout and began charging across the field. As they did so, the SFE artillery began to open up on the advancing troops in the field. The ground exploded all around Barlow, bodies going airborne as the artillery impacted the line. Despite the pounding, the line of brown continued charging, beginning to go uphill. As they did so, the SFE blaster rifles volleyed into the line._

 _Barlow guessed around one hundred men and women fell in the initial volley. But the firing continued to come just as intense. By the time the regiment finally reached the crest of the hill, the SFE soldiers were prepared._

 _After cresting the hill, the SFU line penetrated the dense woods, rushing towards the SFE trenches. As soon as the brown line entered the woods, all semblance of organization broke down. As Barlow and his troops rushed into the woods, the orderly line in the field collapsed, soldiers were forced to fight individually or in small groups._

 _Lieutenant Devitt Barlow found himself in a small group of two other soldiers. He was completely disoriented. He saw some troops dressed in gray in front of him. Knowing those to be the enemy, he fired into the soldiers. But suddenly he was being fired on from seemingly every side, and from point blank range. He could not see the soldiers shooting at him, but he saw the bolts flying at him through the trees._

 _After only fifteen minutes of heavy fighting, the SFU forces had taken severe casualties. The general commanding the SFU forces ordered reinforcements sent to the trenches, he also ordered artillery into the field._

 _The reinforcements charged into the field and up the hill, like Barlow and the soldiers before, they sustained heavy casualties from artillery as the advanced, eventually they threw their bodies into the melee in the woods just past the crest of the hill._

 _The SFU artillery fired uphill towards the trenches, but in the confusion of the chaos, they were not just hitting the enemy, they were hitting their own men._

 _Barlow ducked as an artillery round screamed overhead and caught an SFE soldier clad in gray. The bolt went completely through him and struck a tree, the bark exploding like a twig. Shards of wood and splinters went all over the place. The man next to Barlow fell, a splinter embedded deep in his now lifeless right eye._

 _Barlow had seen enough, and thankfully the regimental colonel had as well. He ordered a general withdraw. Soon Barlow and the other brown clad soldiers were in full retreat, running down the hill, through the field and back to their own lines._

 _As Barlow was running downhill, the SFU artillery was still shooting uphill. A bolt struck the ground next to him, throwing him in the air. He landed hard and he heard a loud crack. Suddenly a shooting pain rocketed up his left leg. He tried to stand, but he could not._

 _He tried screaming for help, but the fighting still raged in the field where he had fallen. Blaster and artillery bolts screaming past him every second. Humans, dressed in brown or gray, falling at an unprecedented rate._

 _Then he smelled something burning._

 _His nose led his eyes down the hill towards the position of the SFU guns. The guns and their barrage had set the field on fire. The fire was spreading quickly, the flames catching on the dry grass and shrubs._

 _Barlow knew he could not move, he knew he would not escape these flames._

 _He made a decision._

 _He could either burn to death, or he could end it quickly._

 _He chose the latter option. He put his pistol to his chin and prepared to pull the trigger._

 _Suddenly, a loud scream rent the air to his rear. Soon the SFU reinforcements sent to aide Barlow and his regiment were fleeing across the field in terror. He tried to reach out to grab his fellow soldiers, he cried out for them to save him. But they were too terrified to do anything but run back to their own lines._

 _Barlow thought he was done for._

 _Until the gray clad men of the SFE came storming on the heels of the SFU soldiers in a vicious counterattack that had driven the SFU out of the woods and down the hill._

 _As the men clad in gray ran past, one of them slowed down and eventually stopped._

 _He was dressed in a gray uniform, wearing a black wide brimmed hat, a belt, and a red Semian officers sash. Barlow squinted through the sun and smoke to stare at the man's collar. He noticed that there were three bars pinned onto the uniform collar. This man was an SFE captain._

" _Help me." Barlow's dry and pained voice cracked out._

 _He and the SFE officer turned their heads as screams of agony broke through the field, the cries of men and women as they were consumed by flames._

" _Let's get you out of here." The officer said, bending down, wrapping his arm around Barlow and hefting him up._

 _Barlow stood on his one good leg._

 _With the flames approaching ever closer, the SFE had called off their counterattack and returned to their trenches, as did the SFU forces down the hill, despite the end of fighting in this sector, men were still dying._

 _The gray clad captain, with Barlow on his shoulder went and recovered two additional SFU soldiers and returned, with his new prisoners, to his lines._

 _After Barlow had been set down the SFE officer sat beside him. The young man took off his hat exposing his brownish hair. He looked very young, perhaps no more than twenty years of age._

" _Do I get to know the name of my savior?" Barlow asked._

" _Only if you tell me your name." The young man replied with a smile._

" _Devitt Barlow." Then almost as an afterthought, "Lieutenant Devitt Barlow."_

 _He extended his hand towards the officer._

 _The young SFE officer clasped it in a tight grip. "Captain William Anders."_

* * *

Barlow shook his mind out of the memory. While such a detailed recount occurred in his mind, he only told a fraction of it to those gathered around him. There were memories that he could not utter, for they haunted him.

He had not moved from the position he had occupied, it was as if his feet were rooted to the earth.

"It was a chance meeting between two enemies, one that saved my life." Devitt spoke aloud, his voice suddenly turning solemn. "The same cannot be said of the 5,742 men and women who were killed, wounded, or missing in that small clearing." He turned to look at William, and noticed that the young man's eyes were unfocused, as if he too were reliving that horrible day.

Devitt Barlow now turned his eyes to face Hagg, the man's eyes alight with hate as he glared at Anders.

"Major, while this man may be an enemy to the First Order, he has honor." Barlow then extended his gloved index finger and pointed it at Hagg in a scolding that seemed fit for a toddler. "Never forget that."

With that he began walking back towards the transport.

"What about the prisioners!?" Hagg yelled after him.

"Prisoners?" Barlow laughed, turning around, "I see no prisoners, just soldiers wanting to go home."

Hagg's mouth was agape. "But sir, these are enemy combatants! They are actively fighting against us!"

Barlow smiled. " Major, tell me, does it appear to you that Colonel Anders and his men have tried to engage us in combat since our arrival?"

Hagg was silent.

"No, they have not." Barlow said, squaring his shoulders. "We will no doubt fight each other again, on some other distant battlefield," Barlow said as if to appease his mind at letting these enemy combatants go, " and perhaps then we can kill each other without remorse." His eyes scanned over the assortment of soldiers, "but in this moment, you have done the unthinkable, you have reached across divisions and united to survive. And that is perhaps the most honorable and selfless thing this galaxy has seen in many years."

Barlow turned to one of his black clad lieutenants. "Prepare for departure."

Some of the stormtroopers were having a very difficult time following this order. Their minds screaming out at them to capture these enemy soldiers, yet, also telling them to obey a superior's order without question. Barlow noticed this, and made a mental note to himself to have a long discussion with his soldiers once they reached their frigate.

Despite misgivings, the lieutenant carried out the order."Yes sir!" The man cried, giving out orders. Soon the mass of white armor began marching slowly up the transport ramps.

Phasma and her group were the last to board. As they began marching by Will and his soldiers, Will was quite solemn. He had grown closer with some of the enemy troopers, and it pained him to a certain extent to realize that he would be fighting against them once more.

Perhaps that was his biggest weakness, his compassion. But he would reflect on that later.

As Phasma and her soldiers began to pass Will, Will gave an order to his soldiers to stand at attention.

They did not hesitate, and snapped to attention just as their enemy companions of the past couple of days began to pass by.

Will himself snapped to attention, and he, Rogers, and Dowdall raised their right hands to their foreheads in a salute.

As the troopers past by, some of them acknowledged the gesture, returning it with a brief snap to attention themselves, officers, like Nines, returned the salute.

The last one in line was Phasma. She walked a few paces behind her men. When she reached Will, who still held the salute, she stopped in front of him.

Slowly, she raised her right arm, and her gauntleted hand nearly touched her helmet as she returned the salute.

"Colonel Anders, this has been a unique experience." She told him.

"Indeed it has, Captain Phasma." Will said honestly.

"Until we meet again." Phasma broke the salute and turned on her heel, marching up the ramp of a transport just as the engines ignited.

Will and his soldiers watched as the five transports lifted off the ground and shot up through the atmosphere. They were left all by themselves.

"I hope the Resistance gets here soon." Private Dryse said.

Will was lost in reflection.

 _Until we meet again._ Phasma's parting words to Will no doubt indicated that their next meeting would occur as they shot at each other across the battlefield.

The Resistance ships arrived just an hour after the First Order transports had left. Will was surprised. After he boarded the transport, he walked to the cockpit.

"How did you get past the First Order blockade around this planet?" He asked the pilot.

"Blockade?" The man replied in confusion, "The only First Order ships we saw were jumping into hyperspace just as we arrived. It looks like they have given up on trying to control this sector of space." A victorious smile adorned his face.

The copilot turned to Will with a look of curiosity. "Say, how did you survive all this time?"

Will gave a smile as he prepared to leave the cockpit. "You would not believe me."

Will sat himself down in the small cabin and strapped himself into the seat. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

* * *

Devitt Barlow stood in the transport cabin, looking at his stormtroopers as they stood in two lines facing the ramp. Barlow stood at the end of the two lines, closest to the cockpit.

He racked his mind about what had just happened.

He realized that his superiors in the First Order would be outraged at his decisions. But, Barlow had a feeling that he would receive a slap on the wrist, nothing more.

He knew he was being foolish with such assumptions, the First Order, especially Supreme Leader Snoke, General Hux, and Kylo Ren, were known for being merciless. Yet, he felt comfortable in his assumption, this time at least, because he had done his mission perfectly. He had been tasked with capturing Yavin 4, and he had done so. While he had let Anders and the others go, and seemingly ordered the First Order ships to retreat through hyperspace, that is not the end of his plan. If his plan goes accordingly, once the Resistance fleet has left the sector, the First Order ships will return, troops will be sent down to the surface of Yavin 4, and the moon will finally be under their control.

While Barlow was honest in his words to Anders about honor, he too was just as sneaky and cunning.

And that was the reason the First Order would not severely punish or kill him for letting these enemy soldiers go. Because he had won the First Order victories before, and it seems like he will continue to do so. Barlow knew that he was more useful to the First Order alive, despite his compassion, than dead and useless.

 _Compassion_. The word seemed somewhat alien to him. He knew he was compassionate, if the event that had just happened was anything to go by. It was something he had in common with William Anders. But it also made him an outcast in the First Order. While he knew he could be merciless at points, he remembers ordering the killing of an entire village to ensure Resistance guerillas no longer harassed his troops; he also knew that compassion was a part of him. It was that compassion that alienated him from the other officers, and even troopers, of the First Order. Whereas the overwhelming majority of them were cold and emotionless, he showed a ray of emotion. Most of the fellow colonels and generals refused to acknowledge him; those that served under him did so because they were forced; and his superiors looked upon him as a vermin, a victorious and useful vermin, but a vermin nonetheless.

It was tough. But he knew he had to do it. Devitt Barlow could not bring himself to join the Resistance.

In his mind the Resistance was an organization that he believed existed to cause disorder in the galaxy, disorder that would lead to chaos and chaos which would leave to an untold number of deaths. However, the First Order would in his mind promote order throughout the galaxy, and order meant saving lives. He wanted to save lives because he was compassionate, and the only way to save lives was through promoting order. The First Order was the embodiment of order.

The ship touched down with a thud, soon the doors opened and the stormtroopers marched out of the cabin and down the ramp, Barlow followed right behind.

* * *

William Anders was shaken out of his slumber when the transport set down inside the Resistance frigate. He and his soldiers stood up and began to walk out of the transport all looking forward to a well needed rest.

He had just stepped onto the hanger floor when he was greeted by a group of Resistance soldiers he did not recognize.

"Colonel Anders?" The man, a lieutenant, asked.

"Yes." Will replied.

" I am to inform you that we are on our way to D'Qar, once there you are to meet with the high command council."

"Okay." Will said and walked away. This was the meeting he was dreading.

* * *

The trip to D'Qar took nearly nine hours. In those nine hours Will slept, his body fatigued from the strenuous activity of the past couple of days.

Eventually he was awoken by a knock on the door of the small quarters he had occupied.

Rising, he answered it.

It was Rogers.

"We have landed." She said.

"Great." Will said sarcastically.

The two stalked off the frigate and Will immediately went into the large command center.

He was quickly ushered into a large conference room by an unknown captain, and he quickly found himself staring at the entire high command of the Resistance.

As he looked around at their faces, he noticed that most of them did not seem pleased to see him.

"Colonel Anders," Leia said, "Welcome back."

"Many thanks, general." Will replied with a small smile.

"Enough with the pleasantries, let's get down to business." General Donhue said.

"Your ship was shot down by First Order fighters, a crash in which everyone escaped without major harm?" Leia asked.

"That is correct, General Organa." Will replied.

" We have gotten reports that you and your soldiers were attacked on Yavin 4 by a marauding gang, is that correct?" Major Ematt asked.

Will felt his ire rise towards the man was he recalled Whip's story. "Yes." He nearly ground out.

"Some of your soldiers were taken hostage?" An unknown general asked.

"Yes, that is correct." Will replied, growing tired of the constant questions and answers.

" Is it true that the First Order had sent down a contingent of soldiers as well?" Donhue asked.

Will smirked, "Well, I guess, although I would imagine you would know more about that than I would." He simply did not care if he sounded like an ass. He was still dead tired, and every more hungry.

Donhue's face reddened, but he did not speak.

"Did you come into contact with these enemy soldiers?" An unknown female general asked him.

"Yes, we very nearly had a firefight, but I intervened and stopped such bloodshed."

"Why did you intervene?" Leia asked.

"Because we were stuck on the planet by ourselves, our comms were destroyed, and we were surrounded by hostile gangs. I realized that the only way to survive was to cooperate."

"Did you?" Leia followed up.

"Yes, Captain Phasma and I came to a mutual understanding of the situation."

A laugh echoed throughout the room. It was Ematt. "Captain Phasma? Why, Colonel Anders, you and the dear captain seem to have an awful lot of run ins. Are you sure your mind is clear on the matter of your loyalty to the cause?"

"Why do you question my loyalty, major?" Will said tersely, he did not care what others thought about him in their private minds, but he would not have his loyalty called into question in front of the entire command of the Resistance armed forces. A military he and his soldiers had fought and bled for.

Ematt gave a smile. "Simply because you and Captain Phasma always encounter each other in situations that end up with you not killing the captain. Such as your incident on Jakku, where you let the stormtroopers go but killed one of your lieutenants. So forgive me if I think your loyalty is questionable."

"I second that." Donhue said. "If it was up to me, I would have had you thrown into the cells long ago."

"Silence." Leia said in a raised voice. She turned to Ematt.

"Major, it is apparent that you have let your personal dislike of Colonel Anders to cloud your judgement."

"No ma'am I was jus…." Ematt tried to speak.

Leia cut him off, "You are dismissed from this meeting." She gave the major a wave of her hand, indicating the conversation was over.

Ematt stood in silence for a few seconds before walking down the long conference table, glaring at Will as he passed by, and finally out the doors.

Once the doors had shut, the questioning continued.

Leia warned Donhue. "General Donhue, while you may not like Colonel Anders, he has proven his loyalty to the cause and to me. And if you question his loyalty, I can always assign you a frontline command."

Donhue's confident expression turned sour. It made Will smile.

" After this agreement, what did you and Phasma plan to do? Get off world?" Leia asked.

"Well, yes. We planned to rescue our captured troops, and eventually get off world." Will replied to the generals question.

"Did you succeed?" Asked the same female general.

"We did. In fact, I would say it was a stunning victory. We took no soldiers killed and only five wounded. We inflicted over one hundred combined casualties on the enemy gang."

"A victory? You call that a victory? That is nothing more than a mere skirmish on some insignificant backwater." Donhue said, finally letting his resentment out.

"SILENECE!" Leia roared, slamming her fist down on the table. She turned to General Donhue. "Donhue, it is apparent that you cannot stand any more of this meeting. You are dismissed."

Donhue tried to argue but Leia sent the old man a look of utter anger. The general got up, and like Ematt, glared at Will as he walked by him, before exiting through the double doors.

"I would say that is a commendable victory." A old and small general told Will with a smile that showed his worn teeth.

Will smiled back.

"This meeting is adjourned." Leia said.

The generals got up and left. Leia ordered Will to stay, and he did.

She walked around until she stood in front of Will. She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

" I apologize for your ordeal." She said sincerely.

"It is of no importance. It was all part of my job." Will said with a small smile.

"Only you would say such a thing, William." Leia said, her face bright with happiness.

"General, I have a question if I may ask." Will said respectfully.

"Granted." Leia said gently.

"Why did the Resistance abandon Yavin 4 after recovering us? When we left there was only one other Resistance ship surrounding the moon."

Leia sighed. "To tell you the truth William, Yavin 4 was never thought of as a strategic location. The opinion of the council was that if Yavin 4 could be controlled, and by extension, the entire Yavin system, than we could use it as a staging point for future operations. However, there were other far more suitable planets which we can use."

"Then why send us?" Will asked.

"Politics." Leia said, "The Senate has been pushing for the armed forces to show progress in the fight against the First Order. Progress means winning battles. Up until your little expedition, the Resistance really had not done much fighting recently. We needed a victory to appease the Senators."

Will was pretty upset and Leia could see. "Will, I apologize, it is disgusting, but that is the way militaries work. It is how they always worked, a marriage of politics and strategy. Sometimes it works for the better and other times it does not.

Will was not having any of it. "Excuse me, general." He said before turning on his heel and marching out of the room.

* * *

Phasma had finally returned onboard the frigate. She knew she and her men needed rest. She had ordered them to not be disturbed for twelve hours. She had also ordered that the frigate travel back to Starkiller Base. Phasma had just stepped foot in her quarters when her comm beeped. Sighing, walked over to the table and activated it. It was Hux.

"Captain Phasma, I expect a full report as soon as you reach Starkiller Base."

"Yes, sir." She replied.

With that the hologram faded, and the call ended.

But Phasma had a lightbulb go off in her head. She instantly reached down to her belt, found the correct pouch, and opened it. Her gloved fingers danced along the vial she had put there, it had seemed like eons ago. She removed the vial and inspected it. Remarkably, it had survived the rigors of combat unscathed. The blood inside was now dry, but it would still yield the DNA results that Phasma wanted.

She stalked out of the room and down the hall towards the med bay. After ordering everyone to leave the area, she walked over to the DNA scanner and inserted the test tube.

When she got the results, disappointment and frustration spread through her body.

Name: William Anders

Parents:

Father- Unknown

Mother- Unknown

She very much wanted to blast the machine to oblivion right then and there. But then something came over her as she recalled her times with Colonel William Anders.

They shared a lot in common. The same planet, the same hometown, a loss in their lives, for Phasma it was her padawan husband all those years ago, for Anders it was virtually his entire family. Anders was only twenty one years old, Phasma only thirty seven. She knew her child would be around his age if that child had lived.

It was almost laughable at the thought. Imagine that, her, a First Order stormtrooper captain, and he, a colonel in the Resistance. They were enemies for force's sake!

On a whim, she removed the glove on her right hand. Her white skin exposed to the cool air of the med bay. She pricked her index finger with a small needle, and swabbed the drop of blood forming on her finger. After putting the swab into the machine she commenced the process, comparing his DNA to her DNA.

When the results finally came back Phasma was shocked.

Her legs gave out and she stumbled and nearly fell, her hands shot out and barely gripped a table behind her. Eventually Phasma hobbled on shaky legs towards the wall behind her. Facing the wall, she dipped her helmet until it leaned against the cool durasteel surface, and her shoulders began to shake.

They shook for the years of blasted hopes and a lost future, a future that she and he should have had, but did not. Now they were reduced to shooting at each other on a battlefield.

The imposing and intimidating commander of the First Order's Stormtrooper Corps was reduced to leaning against a wall an emotional wreck.

The screen on the DNA scanner read a singular word.

 _MATCH._

 **The big reveal in finally here! But what will happen? Are Phasma and Will destined to remain enemies? Does Will know? I know for many of you readers, this was obvious from very early on in the story. Perhaps I made a mistake earlier by giving so much detail about these two main characters, perhaps in future stories, I may withhold such detail until later. However, despite that, I am still pleased with this work, and I hope you are as well! If you have any suggestions for future use, I would gladly accept any private messages. Sit back and enjoy!  
**

 **-LittleP**


	29. A Friendly Chat

Chapter 28: A Nice Little Chat

William Anders had been sleeping in his quarters for nearly sixteen hours straight. He had locked the door to his room to ensure that no unwanted guests would disturb his slumber. He was still on D'Qar, still under the watchful eyes of the Resistance high command council, be he would not be bothered by that, all he wanted was to sleep.

The only thing to slightly disturb him was a sudden shock sent through the force, which he picked up minutely, but thought nothing of it. He quickly fell back asleep.

That was until a knock sounded as his door. It woke Will up, but he did not acknowledge it, hoping whoever it was would get the message and go away. But the knocking continued, so much so that Will could no longer ignore it.

Grumbling sleepily in displeasure, Will rolled out of bed. He was still in his nightclothes, not bothering to put on his uniform as he walked to the door.

Opening the door he saw two faces he had not seen in a long time.

There, smiling at the sleepy eyed young colonel with disheveled hair was Major Rex Howe and Sergeant Huxley.

"Good morning, sir." Huxley said with a smile on his face.

Will's demeanor instantly changed from annoyance to giddiness on seeing the two individuals standing in his doorway.

"Huxley, it has been far too long!" Will said in excitement before grabbing the older man in a bruising embrace.

Huxley gladly returned the hug. "Same to you as well, sir."

Will released Huxley then turned towards Rex, and likewise grabbed his immediate subordinate in a hub.

After the two greeted each other, Will got down to business.

"What brings you two here this morning?" Will asked.

"Sir, we need to talk to you." Huxley said.

"About what?" Will asked in confusion.

Rex looked up and down the hallway, and then told Will quietly. "We need to speak to you in private."

Will nodded his head in silence, and then stepped aside to let the two gentlemen in.

Rex and Huxley stepped into the room and the door slid shut.

Will sat down on his bunk, while Rex and Huxley stood above him.

"Sir," Rex began, "We are here to have a debriefing with you about your recent expedition to Yavin 4."

"I already gave my report to the high command council." Will said confused.

"We know, but we are not here on the orders of the high command council." Rex continued.

"Then who?" Will asked.

" General Organa asked us to come by ." Huxley said.

"I already told her what happened." Will said, but knew that would not be enough for the general and her force sensitivity.

"She could sense you were reserving some things." Rex said.

"Like what?" Will replied instantly.

"She wants to know what kind of relationship exists between you and Phasma." Huxley deadpanned.

"W…What?" Will said, his voice raising in shock and irritation. "Does she think I am enamored with my enemy?"

"No, not at all." Huxley moved his hands in an appeasing manner.

"Then what is she thinking?" Will's hands rubbed his forehead.

"She does not know what to think. She thinks you skipped around her questions during the debriefing." Rex said calmly.

"She did not ask me such questions." Will said, "You call that a debriefing, I call that an interrogation."

"Regardless, sir, she wants to know. And, on some level, we do too." Rex said, motioning to Huxley and himself.

Will sighed. "Okay."

Rex and Huxley leaned in slightly.

" I believe the relationship that Phasma and I have formed is one that is based on mutual respect."

"Respect for what?" Huxley asked.

"Respect for each other's abilities, talents, and combat record."

"How so?" Rex asked. "Did this 'mutual respect' form after saving that trooper's life of Jakku?"

"I believe so," Will said, "But I cannot speak for Captain Phasma. However, I will say that during our other numerous encounters, our joint abilities to fight and think strategically earned some joint respect."

Rex then silently glanced at Huxley.

"What?" Will said, on edge about the glance.

Rex turned back to Will. "Will, General Organa has asked that this discussion between us remain confidential."

"Why is that? I thought she was using this as an addition to the 'debriefing' performed by the high command council." Will said, his fingers motioning mock quotations.

Huxley shook his head. "No sir, if some members of the high command council were to hear of this, they would be convinced that you are a traitor."

"But I am not." Will said.

"We know, _she_ knows, but most of them do not. General Organa values you like no other regimental commander in this army, she would not let that happen to you. So please, Will, keep this meeting classified." Huxley implored, using Will's first name as emphasis.

"Will you inform General Organa of what I have said?" Will asked suddenly in concern.

Rex nodded his head. "Yes, we will. But fear not, Organa will not tell a soul."

Will nodded and sighed. "Okay."

"Thank you Will." Rex said with a small smile.

"Thanks very much, sir." Huxley added.

"My pleasure." Will replied.

Rex and Huxley gave parting smiles before they both turned around and headed through the sliding door. Once Will saw the door slide shut once more, he lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. He tried to get more sleep, but he knew his efforts were fruitless, he was just too nervous.

After endless minutes of trying to go back to sleep, he sat up in his bunk, then quickly stood up.

He had to brace himself with a hand on his bunk when all of the blood rushed out of his head, making him momentarily dizzy.

He put on his uniform and left his room, walking down the halls of the large base. His destination was the offices of Leia Organa.

* * *

Captain Phasma remained in the med bay for many minutes. Slumped against the wall, the distraught and shocked First Order captains' strength had gradually left her, and soon she had slipped down the wall.

Now she sat on the hard durasteel floor, her long legs splayed out in front of her, and her cape bunched up and wrinkled behind her. Her head lolled, her helmet sometimes leaning weakly against the wall behind her, or slumped forward, so much so her helmet touched her chest plate. Eventually, Phasma felt claustrophobia take hold as she cried inside her helmet. Reaching up, her hands clasped both sides of her helmet and lifted it up off her head. She dropped the object to her side, a loud clang sounding through the room as chromium met durasteel.

Her entire face was flushed red with sadness, her cheeks, and eyes. The tears still came in a constant stream; she sniffled and brought her hand up to wipe away the tears threatening to spill down her chin.

It was in this that Phasma was no longer the imposing, intimidating, and awe inspiring commander she had been for the previous years; instead, she was simply a woman who grieved for all that she had lost. A situation which had played itself out over many millennia and across all reaches of the galaxy, now it had hit home.

 _A young teenage girl, not yet an adult, cradling a newborn child, a baby whose big green eyes stared up at the blue ones of the mother; the mother staring back and cooling lovingly._

The thought caused a muffled sob to break from her throat, her hands went into her light blonde hair and clenched the follicles for dear mercy.

Then more recent memories began to surface.

 _The same young teenage girl losing everything; husband killed on Alderaan, her baby taken from her arms, her life thrown into disorder._

 _Out of disorder came a desire for order._

 _A man in black drilling her on combat; the holonews displaying the destruction of a village by rebel fighters, the image of a mother cradling her dead child. Her hatred of those rebels, of the New Republic, of the Resistance._

 _Her first combat, the glee she felt when she killed her first Resistance fighter. The praise she got from her superiors after excelling in both combat and tactics._

 _Her promotion to captain of the Stormtrooper Corps, the respect and admiration she feels from her men. The feeling of power, of authority._

 _Of order._

Those thoughts gradually drew her out of the self wallowing she had been in for what seemed like an eternity. On the heels of that new line of thought, came another, more familiar emotion, anger.

Her hands released their tight grip in her hair and fell to her sides, touching the floor.

She was angry.

Angry at the Resistance. It was their fault all of this had happened, if there was not any disorder in the galaxy, everything need not had happened. She could have lived a simple life, with her loving husband and adoring child by her side. While the planet of Alderaan was destroyed by the former Galactic Empire, the destruction of Alderaan, in her mind, had its roots in the Rebellion.

If the Rebellion had not existed, and disorder not abounded throughout the galaxy, then Alderaan would not have been destroyed.

But disorder had plagued the galaxy, and all because of the Resistance.

Her hands clenched in rage.

It would do her no good to reflect on those emotions and thoughts that were so alien to her. Her goal in life was to destroy the Resistance, the organization that caused her so much anguish.

She realized that her motives for fighting had changed.

The reason she was now going to fight the Resistance was not only just to ensure order, it was the show the Resistance just how much she lost because of them.

This would be retribution.

And William Anders, no matter their newfound relation, was a Resistance soldier, fighting for the very organization that had taken seemingly taken everything from her. He was now an enemy, just like the rest of them.

Phasma righted herself, put on her helmet, and after deleting the results on the test computer, marched out of the med bay.

Both soldiers and officers alike jumped aside as she walked through the hallways, cape billowing behind her. They could feel the anger boiling around her and knew that she walked with murderous intent.

* * *

William Anders nearly forgot to breathe when he felt a dark and almost oppressive feeling tear through the Force. He quickly calmed himself, and soon was at the offices of General Organa.

Just as he walked through the double doors, he was greeted by an empty room.

He was about to walk out and return later when a voice stopped him.

"Going so soon?"

Will's fists clenched, he knew that voice.

Out from another door came Major Ematt. The man strode into the spacious office with a smile of his face.

"I was looking for General Organa, major." Will said tersely.

"I am afraid the General's out right now, can I take a message?" Ematt asked.

"The information I am to speak to her about is classified." Will said.

Ematt laughed. "Come now, Anders, I sit on the command council. I have the proper clearance."

"That is colonel to you, major." Will said in displeasure, "the only reason you sit on the council is because you are Organa's secretary."

That did it. Ematt's smiling face turned into a frown. And soon the major had walked up the Anders, and stood toe to toe with him.

"That is a hell of a thing for you to say to me." Ematt fumed.

"Is it?" Will asked.

"I do not need to listen to your petty excuses on the council to know what went down on Yavin 4. Aiding the enemy, are we?" Ematt said with a sinister smile.

Will huffed. "You wish."

Ematt's smile grew. "Then tell me why you had such wonderful times with the enemy."

"If by wonderful you mean agreeing to a cessation of hostiles and working together to survive." Will said in an anger filled tone.

"Tell me, was Whip there?" Ematt said, "I surely enjoyed hearing his pained screams."

Just then the main door to Organa's office opened, and in walked the general. She was just in time to witness Will rear back and punch Ematt in the face as hard as possible.

The man went down in a heap on the floor, dazed but conscious.

"Stop!" She yelled.

Will whipped around to face her.

Soon she had Ematt escorted out of her rooms to get medical attention.

"Willaim, what did you do?" She asked as she walked up to the colonel.

"I punched Ematt in the face." Will said simply.

"Why?" Leia asked.

"He insulted an honorable man." Will said truthfully.

Leia nodded her head slightly. "While that understandably made you mad, assaulting an officer is no way to settle a dispute. You should have contacted me. Now, members like Donhue will call for your arrest."

"Donhue can go shove his head up Ematt's ass for all I care." Will was simply beyond formalities at this point.

"William! Control yourself!" Leia boomed.

Will wisely shut up.

"I sent Howe and Huxley to contact you, did they do so?" Leia asked, her tone returning to the normal friendly tone she used when talking to Will.

"Yes, and I told them what I thought. Did they report back to you yet?"

Leia nodded. " I think your answers are understandable given most of your situations. Does it impact the way the fight? In that, how you view the enemy?"

Will sighed. "I view the enemy as simply, the enemy. Indeed, during my encounters with Phasma and her troopers, most of the time they are shooting at us, but on Yavin 4, for instance we had to cooperate. And in cooperating, some of those troopers opened up, and us likewise. It was as if this galactic conflict did not exist."

Leia nodded and smiled. "War is not always good versus evil. There always exists a gray area. The Resistance contains war criminals and evil individuals; likewise, the First Order contains some moral and decent humans in its ranks. That is just the way war is."

"Indeed." Will said.

"Have you looked into your force connection with Phasma at all? Leia asked.

"I have not had much time. But it has become clear that we share some common similarities, strong similarities."

Leia nodded. "Did you feel what went through the force a couple of minutes ago?"

Will nodded an affirmative. "Who was it, Snoke, Ren?"

"Phasma." Leia replied, "She is angry, extremely angry, and that does not bode well for any of us."

That piqued Will's curiosity. What was Phasma angry at?

"I have an assignment for you?" Leia said.

"Naturally." Will responded with a smile.

Leia smiled in return. "You are to take your regiment to Dantooine. The Resistance has a large base there, one of the largest besides D'Qar. We have credible intelligence that the First Order is planning to mass around the planet, and land ground forces on it. If they capture it, Dantooine, will be lost to us. Are you willing?"

"Always." Will said.

Leia grabbed him in a hug. "I can always count on you."


	30. Until We Meet Again

Chapter 29: Until We Meet Again

The base on Dantooine was anything but small, to Will it rivaled the size of the base on D'Qar. As it turns out, he had not only gone to Dantooine with his regiment, but a fleet of Resistance ships. At the helm of this operation was General Leia Organa.

Will had much to think about as the ships moved through hyperspace towards the planet. He reflected on his times with Phasma, and concentrated on the strong emotions he had felt coming from her. He remembered the nearly oppressive anger, but, it was tinged with an incredible despair. It was obvious that Phasma had lost something important, but what?

 _Or who?_ Will thought.

Will thought harder, but he hit a blank wall. He knew next to nothing about Phasma's life, only that she was skilled in combat. Perhaps the Force would give him some answers. Reaching into it, he prodded with his mind, hoping to get an answer, the Force responded.

Will sighed.

It was the same response he had gotten countless times before. It was as if the Force was teasing him. Will knew that he and Phasma had a connection through the Force, but what that connection was still remained a mystery to him.

Perhaps a meeting with Leia was in order.

* * *

Hux was surprised to see Phasma in such a state when she reached the command center on Starkiller Base. Stormtroopers and officers all jumped out of her way as she strode into the facility. On the outside she remained stoic as always, but Hux could tell that Phasma was furious at something. He smiled to himself; he would gladly direct her anger at the Resistance.

Hux was standing around a large holotable, and Phasma joined him.

"Captain Phasma, I trust you have sent me a full report on your actions on Yavin 4?" He asked in a patronizing tone of voice.

"Yes….. sir." Phasma's modulated voice ground out.

"Excellent." Hux said.

Soon afterwards, Colonel Barlow and Major Hagg made their way into the command facility and joined Hux and Phasma at the holotable.

"Sir." Barlow saluted Hux.

Hux merely smiled. "Colonel, I hear you let Anders and the Resistance forces go."

Hux thought he saw Phasma's gloved hand spasm at the mention of the Resistance colonel, but he played it off as his imagination.

" I did sir." Barlow answered. Beside him Hagg gave a smile.

"Why?" Hux asked.

"Because capturing or executing them on the spot would not be an honorable thing to do." Barlow said, straitening his shoulders.

"Since when does the First Order care about honor? We need victories." Hux's voice began to raise.

"I got you a victory; the First Order now controls the Yavin system." Barlow shot back.

Hux quieted down, he had no good response to that. "Regardless, we have a new objective."

"What sir?" Hagg asked.

"Dantooine." Hux said.

"A large Resistance base is on Dantooine." Barlow said in realization.

"What is the plan?" Phasma asked in a rage filled tone.

Hux turned to look at the commander of the First Order Stormtrooper Corps. "Simple, we assault and capture the base."

"But Dantooine is a large base, not any small outpost." Barlow said.

Hux turned to look at the Semian. "Indeed, we will have a mass a large force around the planet and launch an invasion force."

"Do we know how many Resistance fighters are on the planet?" Hagg asked.

"Intelligence puts the number around 80,000." Hux responded.

"What is the plan?" Phasma asked once more, this time the impatience in her voice was plain to hear.

"We take a large fleet to Dantooine. Launch our forces, encircle the base and capture it." Hux said.

"That is easier said than done." Barlow replied, feeling that the plan was flawed.

"Exactly, which is why I am ordering you to carry the operation out." Hux said.

Barlow could only nod in response. "Yes, sir."

"Dismissed." Hux said with a wave of his hand.

Barlow , Phasma, and Hagg took their leave and left the command center.

Barlow had a terrible feeling about this new operation.

* * *

When the frigate came out of hyperspace around the atmosphere of Dantooine, Will was in awe. There were Resistance ships everywhere, seemingly encircling the planet like a protective halo. He did not have much time to gawk at the scene as a deck officer informed him that the transports carrying himself and his troops were ready for departure.

Walking down to the hanger of the frigate Will got on one of the ten or so transports which subsequently lifted off.

The ride down to the surface was a bit bumpy but nothing like the experience at Yavin 4. The ordeal brought back some fresh memories of their ordeal, which seemed like only yesterday, but was in fact two and a half weeks earlier.

The transport touched down on the surface with a thud and the ramp lowered. Will and his troops stood up and proceeded to walk down the ramp. Will was amazed at what he saw.

While D'Qar was the largest base of the Resistance, Will had never seen that many people there when he visited the base. However, here on Dantooine, it seemed like every Resistance squadron, battalion, and regiment was represented. There were so many soldiers, so many different species, so many different planets, to Will it looked like the entire galaxy was represented. He must have counted three hundred fighters in the walk to the barracks.

The barracks were sparse, nothing that Will did not expect. After organizing his bunk, he received orders informing him that Leia wanted to speak to him.

 _It appears that the general read my mid._ He thought with a smile.

After giving some orders to Rex he took his leave and left to find Leia.

That was easier said than done.

He must have searched for an hour, getting lost numerous times; his attempts to get directions seemed futile. No one seemed to know their way around this base.

After nearly ripping his hair out he finally found Leia's temporary office.

Two large durasteel doors slid open to reveal Leia and another individual slouched over her desk, the general seemed to be giving instructions to this unknown individual.

Upon hearing the doors slide open, Leia looked up and smiled.

"Ah Will, it is nice to see you made it."

"Same here general." He replied, standing just past the door's threshold

.Leia turned her attention to the unknown individual with his back to Will. "Could you give us a moment?"

The man said nothing but snapped to attention and turned around.

Will's fists clenched when he saw the man's face.

Major Ematt walked slowly towards Will, glaring at him as he passed by. Will fists unclenched only when the double doors behind him slid shut, leaving him and Leia alone in the large room.

"Have you felt it?" Leia asked.

Will scrunched his face up in confusion initially, until he thought. He had felt that something major was about to happen, the Force, as usual would not reveal what, but something was going to happen, something major.

"I have felt a foreboding for the past two days, as if something is going to happen, something bad."

Leia nodded. "The Force has sent me visions of our future."

"What do you see?" Will asked in curiosity.

"All I see in these visions are people crying, our troops blasting off of a planet's surface, and…" Leia trailed off, her eyes staring down at her desk.

Will walked closer to Leia, "Leia, what else did you see?"

Leia's head moved until her eyes stared right into Will's. "I saw the Semian flag being consumed by fire."

Will's eyes furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Let me show you," Leia said. She moved her hands and placed them on Will's forehead, just below his cap. She closed her eyes and began to focus her energy.

Will saw what Leia was doing and closed his eyes.

 _The flag of Semia was folded in a four sided square, it's blue banner with a single large white star at the center was surrounded by fire._

 _The edges began to curl inwards and blacken as it burned, the fire slowly consuming the flag until it was nothing more than a charred mass._

Will and Leia both removed themselves out of the vision.

Will was surprised. The Semian flag that Leia had showed him in the vision looked an awful lot like the flag his regiment had brought with them, in addition to their regimental flag. The square shape that the flag was folded in also sent some alarm bells on in his head. The flag was folded in a square only during ceremonial occasions, during anniversaries, military events, or periods of mourning. The aspect of fire also made him think. The only time a Semian flag was to be burned, was when it had been desecrated.

"What do you mean by desecration?" Leia suddenly blurted out.

Will nearly reared back in shock, had Leia been reading his mind? "Were you reading my mind?"

Leia gave a small smile. "Well no, your mind was shouting so loudly that any force user within five light years could hear you."

Will scoffed. "Very funny."

"Will, what did you mean by desecration?" Leia asked, her humor morphing into seriousness.

"Desecration to the Semian flag includes the introduction of foreign materials onto the fabric itself, like dirt, mud, or dust; the fabric being torn, or the flag touching the ground." Will repeated the mantra he had heard since he was a young child.

Leia wordlessly nodded.

"What do you think it means?" Will asked, hoping Leia would have some answers.

Instead she shrugged her shoulders. "I do not know. The Force is strange like that, it sends me visions but not explanation whatsoever."

This time Will wordlessly nodded.

Suddenly Leia's face turned into a frown.

"What is it?" Will asked with concern.

"The First Order ships have arrived in the system. From what I can sense, they are beginning to mobilize their forces. We should expect air and ground assaults within the coming hours. "Leia turned back towards her desk to call the other generals and commanders and inform them of the situation.

Will guessed it was time he took his leave and got back to his own forces. He began to walk to the doors and exit the office when Leia's voice stopped him.

"Wait."

He did so and turned around to face his general.

Leia stood behind the desk across the room from him.

"I sense Captain Phasma." She told him.

Will had been so caught up in reflecting about Leia's recent vision that he did not sense Phasma in the force. Clearing his mind, he focused. Yes, Phasma was there, a halo of darkness surrounding her; the anger was palpable and nearly suffocating. But upon focusing closer, Will thought he felt it once more, a tinge of sadness colored her force signature.

Phasma's hint of sadness ignited his curiosity once more, yet it was quashed soon after.

"Will, you should return to your regiment, we may have a ground engagement very soon." Leia said.

Will nodded, "Can do, general." He turned around and made for the door.

Just as they slid open Leia's voice once again filled the office.

"May the Force be with you."

Will turned around and gave Leia a smile from the doorway. "And with you."

With that he stepped out into the hallway, the doors shutting behind him. The hallway was a chaotic scene. Men and women, in all sorts of Resistance uniforms were running up and down, racing to get to their destinations. Will decided he would take it a little slower and walked back to the barracks.

He found his soldiers gearing up when he arrived.

"Rex, what is going on here?" Will said in slight confusion.

"You did not hear?" The major asked.

Will looked over Rex's shoulder as Rogers helped Tali put on her equipment belt. "No."

"General Organa has ordered that our forces be ready for an attack."

"What about our fighters in the atmosphere?" Will was confused, he thought the Resistance had a substantial number of fighters and frigates orbiting above the planet, surely they would put up a hearty fight.

"From what I was told, our fleet was ready, but our intel underestimated the size of the enemy force. We were told that it would be no more than five First Order frigates and cruisers coming out of hyperspace, instead we got ten."

Will shook his head in disgust. Perhaps he should lead Republic Intelligence, even though he had no idea how to gather such information, he knew he could do a better job than those currently working in the unit. "Did our ships put up any sort of fight?"

Rex nodded his head. "Some. We destroyed a good number of TIE fighters and damaged two frigates and a cruiser. But our ships took a beating and were forced to pull back."

"So you are telling me that nothing lies between those First Order ships and us?" Will asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Indeed." Rex replied in a grin fashion.

"Alright," Will said with a sigh, "get them ready."

"Yes, sir!" Rex said, than handed out orders.

* * *

Phasma watched as the ship came of out hyperspace. A tan and green ball encompassed the view out of the bridge windows. She had little time to analyze the planet for the Resistance ships started screaming by almost instantly. The blue lasers of the Resistance T-70 X-Wings mingled with the red bolts from the First Order ships; the lightshow standing in stark contrast to the enveloping darkness that was space.

Phasma took one last glance and walked off the bridge. She walked down the halls, heading towards her troops. She anticipated the call before her comm began to beep.

Activating it, she was met with the voice of Hux blaring through her helmets internal speaker system.

"Captain, ready your troops. You are to get the troops on the surface and establish a landing zone. Once established, you will wait for Barlow to arrive and take command."

"Yes, sir." Phasma said and switched off the comm.

In mere minutes she was in the hangers. Chaos reigned around the cruiser she was on. X-wings engaging in hot dogfights with TIE fighters, ships exploding, and people dying. But the atmosphere inside the hanger was eerily calm. Men walked rather than ran to ships; TIE's were dispatched in an orderly fashion; and Phasma was able to organize the nearly 400 troopers assigned to her without difficulty. They boarded the transports and ships of every shape and size imaginable, and exited the hanger bay. However, the chaos that seemed to envelop the entire system was gone. Replaced with quiet, all around the transports were debris floating in the vacuum of space. Looking out from the cockpit of one of the transports, Phasma knew that the First Order had gained control of the skies.

She focused in on Dantooine itself, her consciousness stretching out towards the planet's surface. Her force signature found two distinctive signatures on the planet below. One was extremely bright and powerful. The other force signature was dimmer and weaker. Focusing even further, she stretched her mind towards the weaker signature. The two signatures made contact, and Phasma felt a wave of surprise and shock so strong her mind whipped back.

Her consciousness returned and she found herself gripping the pilots seat for dear life. Her lungs seemed to burn as she took deep breathes to calm her shaking limbs.

She had nearly lost control.

She could not allow that to happen again.

But she knew with finality that _he_ was here.

* * *

It was a cold day with overcast skies. Will and his troops were dressed in their winter gear. A dark green frock coat, adorned with the rank patch of colonel, was all that Will wore; in addition to his peak cap and standard trousers and combat boots.

Will had gotten his troops all formed up and ready to go. Now they stood just outside the base perimeter. In front of them stretched a wide open plain, undulating hills and crests adorning the large expanse of field. The rugged mountains hemmed in the field on both sides, to the rear stood the large Resistance base, and to the front was nothing but openness.

Will guessed that if a battle were to occur, this is where it would start.

And he was right.

After waiting nearly thirty minutes, the shadows of ships became visible in the cloud layer above. Will stole himself, preparing for what was coming through the clouds above their heads.

The ships that came through the cloud layer bore the insignia of the First Order.

Almost instantly, the ground defenses of the Resistance base opened up. And large laser bolts were sent skyward. In an attempt to blow the enemy ships out of the sky. But they all could see that such methods were largely ineffective.

Soon, and with minimal casualties, the First Order ships began to land across the wide open plain. The ships landed somewhat close to the Resistance base, less than a kilometer separated the two opposing sides.

Will knew the Resistance was in trouble.

However, his spirits grew when he saw Resistance X-wings fly from the base and hurdle towards the First Order ships. The sounds and sights of the bombing and strafing of the enemy was music to his ears. Additionally, he and his Semians had been reinforced by around six thousand other Resistance infantry soldiers.

Their odds of a victory were greatly increased.

* * *

Leia scrambled around in the main operations room in the base. She had been informed that most of their ships were out of the fight, leaving their ground positions venerable to air attacks. They needed to get ships into the atmosphere if the Resistance was to have a fighting chance.

She turned to General Donhue.

"General, what is the status on our remaining ships?"

Donhue looked at a console in front of him before replying. "Most of our ships have been taken out of the fight. But, we still have a frigate, a cruiser, and numerous fighters."

Leia noticed that Donhue had a look of concern on his face. "What is it, General Donhue?"

"Well, General Organa, even with those ships, we do not stand much of a chance. The enemy has far superior numbers."

Leia muttered a silent curse to herself. Things were not looking good.

"Is it possible to abandon the base?"

"What?" Donhue and a few others stared at Leia in shock.

" Is it possible to abandon the base? If we simply cannot hold back this dark tide?"

"Yes, it is possible. We have enough transports to ferry our soldiers, and most of our equipment." Donhue replied.

"I want transports loaded with vital equipment as a contingency." Leia ordered.

"Yes, General Organa." Replied Donhue, but it was obvious the man was less than pleased. He more preferred to attack the enemy with all they had. And if that caused the death of every one of them, then so be it. They died with their faces to the enemy. Not their backs.

* * *

Will saw as more and more enemy ships landed a kilometer to his front, and grew increasingly worried. The Resistance soldiers had been standing idly by while the number of the enemy continued to increase. If they were going to have any chance of a successful attack, they needed to do so now.

But the time came and went. And Will felt opportunity slipping through his fingers.

Soon, he had an answer to his anxiety.

His comm unit beeped. Removing the device from his belt, he activated it. "Yes?"

"Sir, General Organa has instructed all forces to prepare to head back to the transports." A garbled voice said over the channel.

"Excuse me?" Will said, not quite believing what he had just heard.

"The general has ordered the base to be abandoned." The voice said, and then the line went dead.

Will was left staring at his comm unit for a moment before he put it back on his belt.

What was Leia thinking?

Why was she doing this?

They had a chance at victory!

Yet even Will knew that such an outlook was no longer accurate. They did have an opportunity to victory, but as the seconds went by, that opportunity had dwindled. Now they faced two options, defeat or destruction.

Will decided on the former. Even though he hated the idea of retreat, he knew he valued the lives of his men. He would not throw their lives away needlessly.

He looked around and noticed that the numerous Resistance units surrounding him began to head back, in an orderly fashion, to the base.

Will sighed.

"Prepare!" He shouted his brave men and women snapping to attention. "About, face!" They all spun around in unison. "Forward, march!"

The nine hundred Semians then began to march back towards the base, the last ones to leave the field.

* * *

Colonel Devitt Barlow looked through marcobinoculars at the sight unfolding before him. It appeared that the Resistance forces were pulling away!

He had seen the Semians in the center of the line, their two flags waving in the cold breeze. The dark blue of the planet's flag stood out just as much the red regimental flag of the 1st Semian Regiment that flew beside it.

" _The Anders Attackers"_ Devitt had made the nickname up after some thought.

Devitt had given orders to his troopers to prepare a defensive position in case they were attacked. Barlow had ordered the ships to land on the crest of a hill in the middle of the open plain. In front of them, the ground rolled up and down towards the Resistance base.

Devitt was quite sure that no attack would come. To attack these stormtroopers across an open plain was suicide.

Captain Phasma and one of her officers, a trooper Devitt recognized as Nines, came to stand before her.

"Report, Captain Phasma." He said.

"Sir, our troops have followed out your orders. They have emplaced defensive barricades along our entire front."

"Excellent." Barlow smiled, pleased with this development. He then turned to Nines.

"Colonel, I have emplaced the artillery behind the main line on infantry. Even occupying such a position, the artillery still have a clear field of fire towards the enemy base." Nines reported to Barlow.

Again, Barlow smiled. "Very good. Our forces control the air, and soon we will control the ground. Good work the both of you."

"Sir." Both Nines and Phasma replied before stalking away.

Devitt once again turned to the Resistance base. A small smile began to appear on his face.

It would seem that he had bested the great William Anders.

* * *

Phasma stared across the plain towards the Resistance base. She knew Anders was there, she could feel him in the force.

His presence burned in her mind, like a beacon of light.

Since she had found out about her relationship to Will, her soul had been tearing itself apart. One part of her mind told her to follow the light, to go to Will. Perhaps they could actually form a relationship, one they should have had for the past twenty years. But the other half of her mind told her fervently not to. It told her to obey and follow the training she had received so long. It told her to bring peace and order to the galaxy. It told her that Will as the enemy, and that he was to be destroyed like the rest of the Resistance.

Phasma had spent many nights awake, trying to figure it all out. She knew she would have to make a decision one day, and that decision would be a permanent one. Whichever side she took, there would be no turning back.

Her force senses shot up in warning, and she looked around. Everything appeared nominal, they still controlled the atmosphere, and there were no visible enemy units near their position. She turned her head back to stare at the Resistance base. Something was going on, and she felt Will's force signature darken slightly in sadness.

Perhaps he had just learned of this defeat? Phasma thought initially.

But focusing further, it seemed like Anders had resigned himself; to what she could not begin to imagine.

She saw Resistance ships beginning to lift off the ground. It appeared that they were evacuating the base. As the ships got higher into the sky, Phasma made a decision.

Her emotions might be in conflict, but her beliefs about the Resistance were not. The ships needed to be taken out of the sky.

She turned to the nearest artillery officer and gave the command.

"Fire!"

* * *

Will was just ready to begin marching his forces up to the transports when a lieutenant ran onto the open air platform.

"What is it?" Will asked.

"Sir, General Organa has asked me to inform you that you are the last to board transports. We have a very limited amount of time if we are to successfully evacuate the base and rendezvous with our remaining ships in the system." The man virtually mumbled every word he was talking so fast.

Will nodded. He looked around and caught sight of the first Resistance transports ascending into the cloudy sky. Numerous others were powering up their engines in preparation to depart.

Then a flash temporarily blinded him, followed by a loud explosion. When his eyes finally came back into focus, Will saw the debris of a transport shuttle hurtling back to earth. The flaming fragments landed with an additional ball of fire. Then suddenly, two other airborne transports were taken out of the sky.

He turned to the lieutenant.

"You tell General Organa, that we are stuck here until that artillery is dealt with. Do we have any reserve fighters to deal with those First Order ground forces?"

The lieutenant shook his head solemnly. "No, sir, we do not. All available fighters were scrambled to ensure what was left of our system fleet remained unscathed."

"Kriff." Was all that Will said. They were in some serious trouble.

He looked across the plain, the First Order forces clearly visible. He turned back to the lieutenant, his eyes full of resolve.

"You tell General Organa that the Semians will take care of those guns."

"Sir, yes sir!" The lieutenant replied, snapping a salute before running off of the platform.

After the man had gone Will turned backed to the transports holding his men. Their ramps were lowered so he had a clear view of his troops.

"Everyone off!" He shouted.

Slowly but surely, every Semian soldier, nearly one thousand of them, came off of the transports.

Rex came up to Will. "What is the issue?"

Will turned to him. "First Order artillery is going to blast us out of the sky if we do not take care of them."

"What do you propose we do?" Lieutenant Rogers sounded from the mass of soldiers.

"We deal with them." He replied.

"How?" Rex asked, "The ground is open. The only way we could attack is a frontal assault."

Will turned to look at him, there was something in his eyes. It seemed like resolve mixed with resignation.

"Are you crazy! That is suicide!" Rex nearly screamed.

"It is the only way the rest of our forces will make it off the planet. Rex, I will take four hundred, you take the rest and get them out of here." Will's voice was stern and serious.

"No, I will not let you sacrifice yourselves or our men!" This time Rex did scream.

Will's eyes fixed him with a stern look. "That is an order, major." He then turned to others. "Rogers, Tali, Dryse and Huxley, you will all go with Major Howe."

"But sir….!" Huxley began.

Will then fixed him with a stern look. "That is an order sergeant."

Huxley solemnly nodded, his head down, eyes staring at his boots.

Will then looked at the faces of each of his soldiers. " Brave men and women, my brave soldiers. I am in need of four hundred souls for this undertaking. This mission will be extremely dangerous, and there is a good chance that you may not come out of it alive. If you want to join me, step forward now. If not, I completely understand. Many of you have families, loved ones back home that rely on you, and are looking forward to your return. I realize that. I want you to know, if you do not step forward that nothing will be held against you. All of you have proven yourselves worthy of the ideals in which our country, our planet, was founded. I can only say in our last few minutes together, at least for now, that it was a honor and a pleasure serving with such fine soldiers."

After Will had concluded his speech he resumed sweeping his gaze over each of his soldiers. Slowly but surely, some began to step forward. They were followed by more. Both of the regiment's color bearers stepped forward.

Will smiled. If this was to be a suicide mission, they would take their flags to the grave, literally.

Soon, all four hundred were assembled. The remaining six hundred soldiers looked on at their brothers and sisters in arms for perhaps the last time.

Will's comm began to beep.

He answered it.

"Will, what are you thinking!?" Leia's voice shouted over the comm.

" I am doing what has to be done." Will said softy.

"But you might perish!" Leia's voice was thick with worry.

"That is a risk I knew when I signed up to be a soldier Leia." He said sadly.

"I cannot lose you!" Leia's voice was cracking, as if she were nearly about to cry.

Will closed his eyes and sighed. "Leia, I cannot thank you enough for being there for me. I cannot tell what will happen in the coming hours, but if I find myself in your office, you can yell at me then. If I do not return, my dear Leia, never forget how much I cared for you."

Now Will could hear the soft sobs. "Will, I do not know what to say."

Will smiled grimly. "Come now Leia. You have an entire base to lead. I am sure that you have to get back to leading them. And remember, I will see you again, no matter what."

"Okay. Be safe my dear friend." Leia replied.

"I will." Anders said with a sigh before clicking the comm off and returning it to his belt. He felt Leia's overwhelming melancholy through the Force.

He turned back to Rex. "Get the remaining troops onto the transports."

"Yes, sir." Rex said in a soft, pain filled voice. Soon his orders were given, and the soldiers began a slow march up the ramp. Soon they were all onboard. Except for four hundred which now stared from the landing platform.

Rex had not yet boarded. He remained near Will. Suddenly he moved to stand next to him, Rex's eyes pleading with Will's as the two stared at each other.

"Will, are you sure you have to do this?" Rex asked, his hand gripping Will's forearm.

Will stared down at Rex's hand. "I am afraid I must." He brought his eyes up to stare into the depths of Rex's soul. "I have a request Rex."

"Name it." Rex said instantly.

Will sighed. " If I do not return…"

"Will do not say such things." Rex said, his voice was hoarse.

"If I do not return," Will continued, trying to act unaffected, "go back to my house, and retrieve some of my possessions. I have no one else to give them to. Take what you need or want. What you do not take, offer it up to them men." Will said as he looked over Rex's shoulder into the troop transports containing his sad soldiers.

Rex nodded, tears finally spilling over his cheek. He grabbed Will in a fervent embrace. His tears wetting Will's shoulder.

"Please Will, do not do this." He said, his voice muffled as he spoke into Will's shoulder.

Will sighed, his eyes watering. "I must." He gave Rex a final tight squeeze before releasing him.

The major nodded softly and wiped away his tears. Suddenly he snapped to attention and gave Will the firmest salute he could muster.

Will snapped to attention and returned Rex's salute. He turned to his soldiers in the transports. All six hundred returned his salute with their own.

Rex slowly but surely boarded a transport. And soon their ramps began to close. Rex's eyes remained fixed on Will until the transport ramp closed.

With his remaining four hundred troops, Will took them away from the landing platforms. Once they reached the perimeter of the base, he halted them.

He looked across the plain to the First Order soldiers. This was suicide, but it had to be done, if the Resistance were to have any chance at survival.

"Form into lines!" Will shouted, turning around to view his men as they went about his orders.

Slowly but surely the four hundred formed into a line, two ranks deep. The color bearers moved to stand next to each other in the rear of the line. The Semians were to march with their flags on what could prove to be their final march. The blue Semian flag with its large white star at the center flapped in the wind. Beside it, their regiment's pride and glory. Their red regimental flag with a white number 1 in its center also blew in the breeze. With his men all formed up, Will turned to face the enemy once more. He could see that they had put up barriers and defenses. He took a deep breath then gave the command.

"Forward! March!"

Four hundred Semians headed off across the wide open plain. Their enemy lay a kilometer away.

* * *

Davitt and Phasma looked on his shock. They simply could not believe what they were seeing. It was unheard of for an attack to be carried across an open field of fire, especially when the First Order troops were well entrenched.

"Hold your fire." Devitt ordered his troopers. The number of enemy soldiers coming across the field was much smaller than his force, around five hundred men, Devitt estimated.

His eyes and face fell when he saw the flags. He knew the only flag bearing regiments in the Resistance were Semian. A based off of the red regimental flag, he knew Anders and his troops were coming across the field.

Phasma stood surrounded by Trix, Nines, Whip, Sparks, and Krax. All of them stood in slight bewilderment, but none more so than Phasma.

She wondered just what the hell Anders was thinking. Did her offspring have a death wish?

She stood in silence, along with the rest of the line, as the approaching enemy soldiers got closer.

* * *

The Semians crested over the small hill and began to go down the slope. In front of them was another small rise in the ground. The terrain was slightly hilly, but the line remained intact. No one spoke as they advanced through the open; the only sounds were the rustling of equipment.

Will was five paces in front of the line, his view of the stormtroopers changing as he moved up or down a small slope. He could tell they were nearing the enemy lines. Details that were obscure at the perimeter of the base were now clearer. Will could make out soldiers standing behind the barriers. One caught his eye, a dark cape fluttering behind the figure. Captain Phasma.

Will smiled. It was fitting that he and the captain meet again. After all, Phasma did say as much back on Yavin 4.

Their line continued to move, closing in on the enemy line. Will was surprised they had not been fired upon yet.

* * *

Devitt and his soldiers watched as the small line of enemy troops came closer towards their position. Behind him he heard footsteps, then the annoying voice of Major Hagg.

"Sir, they are within range, I believe the time to blow them away is now."

"Not yet." Devitt replied.

"But sir, they Will overrun our positions!" Hagg tried to argue.

"Silence and return to your post." Devitt sternly ordered his subordinate.

Hagg said nothing and went back to his post next to Phasma and her soldiers.

The Semains were just coming up the slop of a hill, the tops of their flags visible before the line of green clad soldiers appeared. At their front, Devitt spotted the form of William Anders.

He sighed. It was like the civil war all over again. But he had to do it.

He turned to the artillery piece on his right and softy muttered.

"Fire."

* * *

Will saw an artillery piece fire, the bolt screaming towards them just as they crested the hill. It impacted the ground to his right, just in front of his troops. Four of them fell, motionless. He could wait no longer.

"At the double quick!" He ordered, and soon his men and women were jogging towards the enemy. The artillery began to fire in unison, large bolts streaking over their heads or impacting the ground next to them.

When they got close enough, Will saw the entire line of stormtroopers level their rifles and fire. Men and women were knocked out of the ranks by the dozens, their green clad bodies hitting the hard earth with thuds. Yet Will and his troops still pushed on, growing ever closer to the lines.

* * *

Phasma was pulling the trigger of her blaster aimed into the mass of moving green in front of her. She saw as dozens of Semian soldiers fell out of the ranks, their bodies lying still or writhing in pain. Beside her, her troops fired into the line of enemy soldiers.

She saw Anders at the front of the column. Her hands itched to point the rifle at him and pull the trigger. Her mind's internal war spiked. Yet it seemed the light side was winning out. She resisted the urge to blast Anders, and hoped that the man survived this charge.

* * *

Will looked up and down his line as they ran, it was shirking in size. He needed to do something, and do it fast. He spotted the next rise in front of him and made his decision.

Just as they reached the rise he ordered his men to halt and lie down. They complied quickly.

However, for a color bearer, it was not fast enough. The young woman took a bolt straight through her heart, her body collapsing to the ground. The blue Semian flag she held began to fall to the ground when it was caught by another soldiers and held aloft.

"Blaze away at them!" Will shouted over the sound of battle. He moved behind his prone soldiers, crouching but still exposed to the enemy. Bolts whizzed by him left and right. It was dangerous, but he knew it was what had to be done.

He looked up through the haze of battle, towards the enemy lines. He found a section of troopers that he recognized instantly. Whip, Nines, Krax, Sparks, Trix, Phasma, and Barlow stood almost directly to his front, only twenty or so meters away.

He made eye contact with each of them; the battle seemed to slow around him as he did so. He noticed that Trix and Whip hesitated in firing their rifles when they made eye contact with him. He then locked gazes with Phasma. Time seemed to stop. Through the Force Will felt all different emotions begin to spill from her signature: worry, horror, sadness, anger, and steel cold resolve. His eye contact with Barlow almost made it seem like the First Order colonel was trying to convey his apologies and regret for the current situation.

Will did not understand why the captain was feeling such powerful emotions, but he did not have time to think. The Force shrilled with warning, and he quickly dodged a couple of blaster bolts. He then went back to shouting orders and encouraging his men.

* * *

Phasma watched as Will went about walking up and down the remainder of his line. Blaster bolts whizzing around his frame. They had made eye contact, and even if Phasma was wearing her helmet, she made it clear to her son what she was feeling.

She felt surprise emanate from William's force signature. Then she realized why. He did not even know of his relation to her. And that made her angry.

She continued to blast off shots as quick as she could, her troops doing the same. She looked to her right and saw Major Hagg. The man smiled as he shot, no doubt enjoying the killing he was doing. Phasma wanted to shoot him right then and there.

Then Phasma heard the rumble of engines. She looked past Will and his trapped soldiers, across the plain. Resistance transports were heading into the sky, their paths clear of artillery fire.

Phasma then moved her gaze back down to Will.

"What are they doing!?" She heard Sparks yell over the roar of battle.

"They are not getting on those transports!" Trix yelled in response as he shot his heavy blaster rifle.

"Sir, what are they doing?" Nines shouted to Barlow.

The man turned to look at Nines. Phasma and the other four troopers around saw the look of sadness on the man's face. "They are staying behind." And then he went back to firing his blaster pistol.

Phasma and her soldiers slowly resumed their fire, Barlow's words leaving them shaken.

Phasma was now terrified. She knew what Anders was doing.

He was sacrificing himself.

* * *

Will turned around, back towards the base when he heard the shuttle engines fire up. Then he saw the dozens of shuttles begin to rise up into the sky.

This was it. There was no way they were going to leave the planet on a Resistance shuttle. This was the price they paid for their heroics.

Will decided that he and his troops had had enough. They had stalled long enough for the rest of the Resistance to escape.

"Fall back!" He screamed. His soldiers obliged and rose up and began racing down the rise and back towards the Resistance base.

"Save yourselves!" Will screamed with pent up emotion.

* * *

Barlow saw Will make a sweeping motion with his hand and soon his troops were running for their lives. However, many were falling as they ran for safety, shot in the back.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Barlow thundered to his troops. Soon the firing died down, and they watched as the remainder of the Semians fled across the field.

All except for one individual.

* * *

Will looked at the scene before him. On the slope of the hill, where his troops had laid down, was a mass of dead and wounded soldiers. As managed to grab a limping soldier and asked the man to go around looking for severely wounded brothers in arms.

He came upon the two flags, the regimental flag pole had been staked into the ground. But the blue Semian flag now lay on the dirt, having fallen during the battle. Both had lifeless arms slung over their poles, brave men and women having fallen to retrieve their colors. Will gingerly removed the still arms from the pole of the red regimental flag. He removed his from the ground and leaned it against his shoulder. He would not let these colors fall into enemy hands. After retrieving the flag, he and his companion found a soldier with a severe arm injury. Taking the man's good arm, Will slug it over his shoulder.

As he turned around to head back to base, Will stared at the line of enemy troopers. He gave a slight nod to Barlow, Devitt and the five other troopers he knew. Then turned around and was beginning to step over a now dead comrade when he heard a scuffle behind him.

* * *

Phasma watched as Anders picked up the red flag of the 1st Semian Regiment and retrieved a wounded comrade. She gave a firm nod in response to the one he had given her.

She was proud. He had survived and now he continued his selfless acts by retrieving the wounded.

"Sir, he needs to be taken prisoner. " Hagg said.

Her helmet whipped around to face the major, a sneer on her face.

"Quiet major, I give the orders around here." Barlow snapped as he watched the man he dared to call friend began to walk back to the Resistance base.

"He is getting away!" Hagg shouted, and then in a blur of movement, he ripped the thermal detonator from the backside of Trix's belt and moved to hurl it towards Will.

"STOP HIM!" Barlow screamed.

Phasma lunged at the man, as did Nines and Whip, but she was too late.

* * *

Will heard Barlow scream.

"STOP HIM!"

His head whipped around, and that is when he saw it, flying through the air towards them.

A thermal detonator.

Time seemed to slow as the object moved towards Will, it reached a position just in front of and above their heads when the inevitable happened.

It exploded, showering them with fragments and shrapnel. The clear air around them was suddenly replaced with red mist as the shrapnel hit their bodies.

They fell in a heap, the red regimental flag draping itself over the still body of William Anders.

* * *

Phasma, Barlow, Nines, Whip, Trix, and Sparks stood in stilled shock. Krax had hauled Hagg off in binders after what he had done.

Now they were left staring. Phamsa had seen the explosion, seen the shrapnel hit Will's body, and saw him fall to the ground, the red flag covering his still body.

She could not feel him in the force, and she panicked.

"Medics! Aid the wounded, that is an order!" Barlow barked. He quickly stepped around the barriers and went to the mass of dead and wounded enemy soldiers. Phasma and her troopers followed.

She followed at a subdued pace, her body and mind still in shock. She looked around an noticed the other five troopers were moving much the same way.

She saw Barlow kneel down over the flag covered body. She reached him just as he pulled the flag down to expose Ander's face.

The mother in Phasma wanted to scream.

He looked as if he were asleep, his features relaxed and peaceful. His cap had fallen away, his brown hair exposed to her eyes. Barlow moved his fingers up to Anders' neck, checking for a pulse.

Phasma now visibly tremored, she knew the results.

Barlow took his hand away and stared up at Phasma and the soldiers now surrounding him. He shook his head solemnly before removing the rest of the flag from Anders' body. Doing so exposed the numbers wounds he had sustained from the explosion.

Barlow took the flag, gave one last sad look to Will's body, and then moved to retrieve the blue Semian national flag.

Phasma moved forward and knelt down next. The tears began to trace their way down her cheeks. For the first time in her career, she allowed herself to show some semblance of weakness. Her gloved and gauntleted hand found Anders' now cold cheek. Her fingers ran along the curves of his face, her mind mapping every dip and curve of her young boy's face. She knew she may never look on him again, she needed to do this. She did not care if her soldiers watched. Based on their emotions flowing through the Force, most that stood around her were surprised or even depressed. They had grown to respect and some like Trix and Whip, had grown to like the young Resistance colonel. Phasma understood their emotions, for she too had grown to respect, and care for William Anders. Now, however, his bright light in the Force was gone.

Her eyes gazed over Will's body once more and the reality of the situation grew on Phasma. The tears now ran down her cheeks in torrents, a small pool forming at her neck seal. She dipped her head in grief and sorrow, her helmet coming into contact with her chest plate. She knew her troops would see her weakness, but she was past the point of caring. Her hand came up and caught Anders' light brown hair. It stayed there for several silent seconds, her gloved fingers twirling the locks, remembering the texture and color. She then moved her hand and placed it over Will's heart. She nearly ordered the muscle to beat, but his chest was still, his heart would beat no more.

That realization really hit home for Phasma. She remembered her young husband all those years ago. The memories were nearly alien to her. In one last showing of grief, Phasma did something none of her soldiers had seen before.

She removed the clasp of her cape around her neck. With the cape free from her body, she gingerly covered Anders' body with it.

It was Phasma's final show of respect, and a great one. Her cape meant nearly as much to her as her armor. But there was another reason that Phasma wanted to do this. The cape was an extension of her, it was a part of her. If William never got to know his mother in life, never got to have something physical to remember her by, she would leave him a part of her in death. It was the least she could do, for Will, but also for her.

With her ritual complete, Phasma stood very slowly, her joints aching just as her heart did. She stared down at Anders' cape covered body before she knew it was time to go. Slowly, she turned around and willed herself to return to her lines.

She looked over her shoulder, towards the body, Trix, Whip, and Nines stood over Anders, each of them looking down at the body. She ripped her gaze away and continued back to the lines.

Upon arriving at the lines she saw Barlow with both flags. He had constructed a small pile of clothing, and used blaster packs. Phasma had no idea what he was up to.

* * *

Barlow had folded the red 1st Semian flag in the ceremonial square shape. Even though he was their enemy, he was going to honor these brave soldiers for what they had just done. He saw Captain Phasma return, a for once in his life, he saw her without her cape. It momentarily surprised him.

He moved with the folded flag clutched to his chest until he stood before Phasma.

* * *

Phasma looked down at the flag in Barlow's arms. He looked at her through the visor, and then extended his arms towards her. Phasma looked at the red flag was presented to her. Her hands came up automatically, and clutched the folded flag.

"You hold the memories of those who fell here in your hands." Barlow said quietly.

Phasma controlled her shaking hands. The flag she held was more than a piece of fabric; it was the heart and soul of the regiment, the heart and soul of those soldiers, the heart and soul of William Anders. She clutched the flag to her heart. She had been entrusted with a sacred object; she would protect it, for _his_ memory.

Phasma looked out over the gruesome sight that met her eyes. She noticed a fair number of wounded soldiers had been aided by her troopers. The maimed and injured were brought back to their position and were treated for their wounds.

Phasma, along with most of her men, had formed a ring around Barlow's pile of material. They watched as he folded the blue Semian flag into the four sided square. He then moved over to the pile, withdrew his blaster pistol, put it up to the material, and pulled the trigger. The clothing instantly ignited, the flame spreading to the other material. Soon the pile had been turned into a makeshift fire.

Barlow knelt down slowly, and Phasma and her soldiers watched as he extended his arms and put the folded flag into the fire. The fabric curled and darkened as it burned.

Barlow then stood up, facing the carnage that lay on the plain. Phasma and her soldiers followed his gaze. Her eyes found the cape covered body.

Slowly, Barlow saluted before the burning flames. Phasma saw, and then her hand slowly moved towards her helm. Slowly but surely, the other troopers had followed her movements, and soon the whole line of stormtroopers stood saluting in the setting sun, a final show of respect for their honorable enemies.

* * *

Later that night a General wept in her quarters, her soul crying out for the young man she had grown to love and care for as a son.

* * *

A Resistance major sobbed along with his lieutenant when was told the news. He would never again look upon Will's face in life. He now only had memories.

* * *

A First Order colonel toasted his drink to the man who saved his life in those woods. A man who was now gone forever.

* * *

A heavytrooper sat on his bunk as a tear silently coursed its way down his cheek. He felt like he had failed. The man had saved his life, but he could not save the life of his savior.

* * *

Another stormtrooper, a squad leader, removed his helmet from his face. The ghastly scars exposed in the artificial light of his barracks. He thought of the man who had understood him, had defender him, and vowed to make it right.

* * *

Later that night the body of Hagg was discovered. He had been beaten to death. The blows were so severe that he could only be identified through his uniform markings.

* * *

In the privacy of her own quarters, a mother wept for her lost child. Her soiled hands clutched her light blond hair. Her hopes and future dreams were shattered. She had nothing left to live for. The sobs came loudly and unbidden as she thought of the young colonel.

He should have still been living.

But was not.

 **The End?**

 **This was my longest chapter, wow. I thought about a good way to end this story for a long time. I felt like ending the story this way was for the best. This is war, and in war, happy moments a few and most of the time come to an abrupt end. I enjoyed writing this story immensely, and hoped you all enjoyed it as well. Stay tuned for more stories in the coming months!**

 **-LittleP**


End file.
